One area of study for the Special Topics in US Culture Industries class will be the intersection of genre and censorship. Therefore, everyone should be on the lookout for instances in which censorship reveals some bias toward differing genres. Today's news bit from the Los Angeles Times is a good example:
FCC backtracks on 2 charges of indecency
The agency reverses its March ruling on two TV shows but reaffirms its decision on two others.
By Jim Puzzanghera, Times Staff WriterNovember 8, 2006
WASHINGTON — It may be OK to swear on a news show, but profanities on other programs are still verboten, the Federal Communications Commission announced Tuesday. The agency reversed a ruling it had made that use of the word "bullshitter" on the CBS program "The Early Show" was indecent. That decision in March was particularly controversial because news shows traditionally had wide leeway on language.
The incident involved a live 2004 interview with a contestant on CBS' "Survivor Vanuatu" who had used the word to describe a fellow contestant. But this week the FCC said it was deferring to a "plausible characterization" by the network that the incident was a news interview, which merits a higher standard for indecency violations. ...
For the full article go to LA Times FCC story
So here's my question: If someone says "bullshit" on a "reality" program then the FCC can fine them. But if the same person is on a network morning show, and says the same word, that is protected speech. Does this make sense? Maybe it does, I'm just asking.
Anyone have an opinion?
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