What the FCC hath wrought
Now a station cancels the most tapioca personality on the air, Garrison Keillor, because of fears of FCC fines:
The warnings, issued by the program’s production company, came about Curse of the Cat Woman by Edward Field, which contained violent themes and the word “breastâ€; Thinking About the Past by Donald Justice, which also used the word “breastâ€; and Reunion by Amber Coverdale, which contained the phrase “get high.â€
Tags: Howard_Stern
August 12th, 2005 at 5:35 pm
ABC’s PrimeTime Live featured a story last night about Timothy Treadwill and his death while videotaping grizzly bears in Alaska. It was a compelling piece about a guy who apparently believed himself master of these bears.
At one point, Treadwill is talking to the camera about the danger of tourists coming out to look at the bears. “They will f-cking die,” he said.
Where’s the hue and cry about that?
August 12th, 2005 at 6:03 pm
While anything that keeps Keillor off the air is a good thing, the cynical part of me says this is a ploy by WUKY to rouse more anti-FCC feeling. I’d bet the FCC hasn’t spared a moment’s time monitoring ‘The Writer’s Almanac’ for peronalities having a script malfunction that exposed the word breast.
August 12th, 2005 at 6:29 pm
Heil god!
August 12th, 2005 at 6:44 pm
“Breast” isn’t one of the seven words from FCC vs. Pacifica.
I’ve never heard of a radio station being fined for that word.
The station shouldn’t have worried about it, if that is the real reason.
August 12th, 2005 at 6:59 pm
Shalom Y’all,
Carlin couldn’t make this stuff up if he tried. I don’t buy conspiracy theories. I think Godall was just being justifiably paranoid about what the FCC and the Religious Wrong might protest next.
When they come after the poets, they’re getting bold.
B’shalom,
Jeff Hess
August 12th, 2005 at 7:25 pm
Thing is, Jeff, they _aren’t_ coming after the poets. WUKY pulled the spots with no prompting from the FCC at all. If there’s been some pressure from the FCC, they sure haven’t mentioned it.
In the absence of some supporting documentation, and since the FCC hasn’t been going after anyone else for saying ‘breast’, I’ll stand by my first evaluation: WUKY’s deliberately playing the victim.
August 12th, 2005 at 7:26 pm
Hmm, I gotta think the manager just hates Garrison Kiellor. I’m no fan of Kiellor’s singing, but this is ridiculous. “Breast” is a dirty word? Guess we need to stop selling shirts with “Breast Pockets” to kids, and maybe adults, too. And, say, what are we doing allowing young girls and boys to have breasts of their own in the first place!?!
Come to think of it, we should have all naughty bits surgically removed at birth–if we can find doctors to do it, since all of their medical books will need to have all of the descriptions of naughty bits removed, as well.
August 12th, 2005 at 8:35 pm
It’s Gary KEILLOR, Jeff.
August 12th, 2005 at 9:18 pm
Ed: Thanks! I was rushing into a meeting.
August 12th, 2005 at 9:49 pm
It could be a move by certain parties to stifle and stymie blogging by refusing to keep us abreast of events.
August 12th, 2005 at 10:44 pm
Thanks for passing this along. I had not seen it. I used to live next to Gary and Maggie in St. Paul, back before he became a celeb.
August 12th, 2005 at 11:38 pm
Somewhat OT but did you all know that they are turning “A Prarie Home Companion” into a move…not a joke.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0420087/
August 13th, 2005 at 2:16 am
Damn, this really sucks. Keillor’s been my favorite radio voice for years. I spent my teen years listening to A Prarie Home Companion on Saturday nights (before watching PBS comedies. I didn’t get out much). I’d love to hear him podcast.
August 13th, 2005 at 9:08 am
This sounds like an “we are all going to die from the looming ice age that was suppose to kill us ten years ago” story.
In general, this form of literary hysteria is based unfounded fear. These days, just because a journalist writes an emotionally based story does not mean it represents what actually happened.
Anything to prove the FCC is the ‘cold wind blowing from the government’ in order to give Jeff a topic to defend.
That said, how come journalism is allowed to censor news? Could it be due to their desire to fulfill their agenda?
August 13th, 2005 at 9:14 am
From a “culture” writer no less. In our multicultural, politically correct society what exactly is a ‘culture’ writer? Is this Orwellian speak for “I’ll tell you what to say, think, feel and believe?’
August 13th, 2005 at 9:31 am
Yes, PHC is being turned into a movie. Quite the impressive cast; Robert Altman is the titular director but Paul Anderson is doing the real directorial work. Lindsay Lohan has done all her scenes and left the Cities.
PHC broadcasts from the last five years are archived on the Web. No offense, but it’s really stupid to be whining about podcasts when PHC has made a fairly extensive commitment to bringing entire shows to the public without charge.
August 13th, 2005 at 1:25 pm
Jeff Hess & Jeff Jarvis, You two are a Stitch! Irrational Fear but y’know… rational. Thanks J.Hess. And J.Jarvis Hoo-Ha! It’s always about Howard Stern - All The Time.
August 13th, 2005 at 5:27 pm
I’m sorry, but blaming Tom Godell’s buffoonery at WUKY on the FCC is like blaming the Enron debacle on the SEC.
August 17th, 2005 at 11:18 am
WUKY’s Tom Godell said that he believed the poems in question were unsuitable for broadcast, regardless of the FCC’s opinion.
The whole episode defies reason or logic.
September 3rd, 2005 at 12:10 am
It just taps on your shoulder and whispers censorship straight into your ear with a hint of hippocracy!
Great Post to get the juices flowing!