www.salon.com/news/featur...index.html
The F-word has now been ruled to be indecent, profane, and OBSCENE.
This is completely obnoxious, and hits fairly close to home for myself, a former college radio deejay.
College and community radio stations--and some commercial radio stations--employ what's known as "safe harbor" policy: from 10pm to 6am, indecent language is permissable, so long as an hourly or half-hourly warning is broadcast, to allow listeners to tune out.
However, obscene and profane language is never allowed on the air. EVER (actually, I'm not sure about profanity; I was only taught never to use it while on mic). The difference is that indecent language is language that is too explicit for SOME people, but can have contextual validity--normally "artistic" context. Profane language is supposed to be "hateful," intended to cause rage, hatred, or violence. (I was under the impression it was reserved for imprecations of divine vengeance--"You are damned, God damn you, I hope you go to hell," even though "damn" and "hell" are not even indecent if used in a secular context). Obscene language is language that cannot be put in ANY context other than intent to offend (or "titillate").
To say the f-word is profane (which frankly DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE according to the FCC guidelines I learned when I tested for my broadcast license) is overreacting. To say it's obscene puts huge quantities of aural art (music, spoken word, stories, and live broadcasts) off limits to radio.
Whether or not you personally find the "f-word" inherently offensive, there are many people who do not. It takes a level of self-induced myopia to see the f-word as NEVER EVER HAVING A VALID USE BESIDES OFFENDING.
And this reclassification doesn't do ANYTHING to CBS or Comedy Central, who are deprived of the "shock" ratings boosts they used to enjoy. It DOES have a significant effect on the independent radio stations, nearly all of whom HAVE played by the rules, and many of whose mission statements are based around the opportunity and ability to broadcast material unavailable elsewhere.
I'm grumpy as all get-out about this. Language is too powerful a tool to flippantly impose this kind of regulation on.
--CAB
EDIT: Okay, took out the imprecations against Michael Powell to make this less "hot."
But let me also mention the increase in the fine levied against FCC violators from around $27,000 to $500,000. KBOO in Portland was in court for-freaking-EVER trying to defend themselves against the lower fine (if anyone cares, I'll explain this one, it was actually a pretty interesting case). That much money was pretty significant to a non-commercial station. $500,000 will put a non-commercial station out of business. I have no real objection to that, as it's only levied if the rules are broken. But making the rules more stringent AND the penalties more severe has the effect of severely discriminating against those least financially endowed.
The F-word has now been ruled to be indecent, profane, and OBSCENE.
This is completely obnoxious, and hits fairly close to home for myself, a former college radio deejay.
College and community radio stations--and some commercial radio stations--employ what's known as "safe harbor" policy: from 10pm to 6am, indecent language is permissable, so long as an hourly or half-hourly warning is broadcast, to allow listeners to tune out.
However, obscene and profane language is never allowed on the air. EVER (actually, I'm not sure about profanity; I was only taught never to use it while on mic). The difference is that indecent language is language that is too explicit for SOME people, but can have contextual validity--normally "artistic" context. Profane language is supposed to be "hateful," intended to cause rage, hatred, or violence. (I was under the impression it was reserved for imprecations of divine vengeance--"You are damned, God damn you, I hope you go to hell," even though "damn" and "hell" are not even indecent if used in a secular context). Obscene language is language that cannot be put in ANY context other than intent to offend (or "titillate").
To say the f-word is profane (which frankly DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE according to the FCC guidelines I learned when I tested for my broadcast license) is overreacting. To say it's obscene puts huge quantities of aural art (music, spoken word, stories, and live broadcasts) off limits to radio.
Whether or not you personally find the "f-word" inherently offensive, there are many people who do not. It takes a level of self-induced myopia to see the f-word as NEVER EVER HAVING A VALID USE BESIDES OFFENDING.
And this reclassification doesn't do ANYTHING to CBS or Comedy Central, who are deprived of the "shock" ratings boosts they used to enjoy. It DOES have a significant effect on the independent radio stations, nearly all of whom HAVE played by the rules, and many of whose mission statements are based around the opportunity and ability to broadcast material unavailable elsewhere.
I'm grumpy as all get-out about this. Language is too powerful a tool to flippantly impose this kind of regulation on.
--CAB
EDIT: Okay, took out the imprecations against Michael Powell to make this less "hot."
But let me also mention the increase in the fine levied against FCC violators from around $27,000 to $500,000. KBOO in Portland was in court for-freaking-EVER trying to defend themselves against the lower fine (if anyone cares, I'll explain this one, it was actually a pretty interesting case). That much money was pretty significant to a non-commercial station. $500,000 will put a non-commercial station out of business. I have no real objection to that, as it's only levied if the rules are broken. But making the rules more stringent AND the penalties more severe has the effect of severely discriminating against those least financially endowed.
