Stern suspended!

[Sava]

Television and radio are businesses... the public should reserve certain channels and radio stations for publically funded programming (like PBS and NPR)... but beyond that, let the market dictate things. If people don't want to listen or watch, then change programming accordingly.

I am absolutely against censorship (or government intimidation). If people want hard-core porn on cable... then fine... because if you don't like something, YOU CAN TURN IT OFF!

[Guynemer]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
a purile old man with a wornout act?

Yes, but other than that.

[Elok]

I wasn't aware that there was an "other than that."

[Ned]

Originally posted by Guynemer
Hmmm...

Far be it from me to defend Howard Stern--I think he's a ***** of the first-order.

BUT, I find it interesting that at the same time Clear Channel is removing him from their stations for "indecency", they are simultaneously putting Michael "you should only get AIDS and die, pig!" Savage on their station in Houston.


I'm not one for conspiracy theories, but it's not exactly a secret that Clear Channel is run by conservatives; Savage is an archconservative, while Stern is... heaven only knows, but he isn't Bush's biggest fan, that's for damned sure.

G, Clear channel is reacting to the enormous fine it received for sexual statements made by IIRC one Bubba Love. Removing Stern is about government censorship, not about politics.

[Ned]

Originally posted by Sava
Television and radio are businesses... the public should reserve certain channels and radio stations for publically funded programming (like PBS and NPR)... but beyond that, let the market dictate things. If people don't want to listen or watch, then change programming accordingly.

I am absolutely against censorship (or government intimidation). If people want hard-core porn on cable... then fine... because if you don't like something, YOU CAN TURN IT OFF!

I think it is impossible for media not to be political. Impossible. Therefor, I think government should stay out of the media business entirely.

I wish to "God" the Supremes would enforce the 1st Amendment against the FCC and Congress. Both the FCC and Congress are in the censorship business and are way out of bounds from a freedom of expression point of view.

[Lung]

Why is censorship so selective over there? Well, that's the way it seems from here anyway.

I mean, from the massive outrage over JJ's boob, you'd swear (if you didn't know what the outrage was about) that someone had thrown a grenade into the audience

Yeah, i know it was a deliberate stunt, but surely not worth the outrage it caused. In Australia, they showed the incident uncensored and no one even batted an eyelid

It seems like gross hipocrisy to see it banned when our kids are constantly bombarded with rap videos from the US showing all women as whores

[DinoDoc]

Good God people! The man was only suspended from 6 stations. How many stations carry his show in total again?

[Shogun Gunner]

Well, yes, the censorship is selective and stupid anyway. I mean a breast? What's the big deal. Should men start covering up their "breasts" at the beach? -- I mean "pecs" of course...

I know a lot of people who don't understand why anyone cares so much. Europe laughs...that's okay we deserve the ridicule on this issue. Just know, most of America doesn't agree with the right-wing religous conservatives.

[Ned]

Originally posted by Shogun Gunner
Well, yes, the censorship is selective and stupid anyway. I mean a breast? What's the big deal. Should men start covering up their "breasts" at the beach? -- I mean "pecs" of course...

I know a lot of people who don't understand why anyone cares so much. Europe laughs...that's okay we deserve the ridicule on this issue. Just know, most of America doesn't agree with the right-wing religous conservatives.

Shogun, in many ways I am a right wing conservative. However I think the government should get out of the censorship business. There are other ways for people to protect kids from smut or for an adult to handle nudity on the tube. Turning it off is one solution.

[Shogun Gunner]

Ned, I think the religous right has hijacked the Republican party. I think a call needs to be placed to get it back!

It seems a revised "social contract with America", by Gary Baeur would be:
1. For censorship of "questionable matieral"
2. Anti-abortion
3. Against stem cell research
4. Prayer in school
5. Banning the teaching of evolution in any form.
6. Against gay marriage

Ridiculous.

I agree with you Ned, there is no question the government should get out of the censorship business.

[-Jrabbit]

The reality is that this is election-year politics. The attack on indecent broadcasting in the US intensifies every 4 years like clockwork.

[Ned]

Infinity to be fined. Stern to be fired.

"Signing on this morning (3/5), Stern said he was going to drop a bombshell. "I’m going to reveal information to you that is going to be very disturbing. So disturbing that I woke up at 3 o’clock in the morning. I couldn’t sleep, because I am preparing myself to become Jesus himself. A sacrificial lamb. My friends who listen to this show on a daily basis, some of you for 20 odd years – and they have been odd – I’m telling you, it is the end of an era. This country is so dangerously close to being absolutely no different than Iran. The religious right is winning. We are losing. Despite a Constitution that says separate religion from state, it’s not happening anymore. There’s a religious agenda. They are winning. They control the media. Clear Channel, Fox, all of them, all part of the religious right. We’ve lost. We’ve lost our airwaves. We’ve lost our freedoms. We will be a religious state within 20 years."

The bombshell weighing on Stern’s mind was a call from "somebody who feeds me information about what goes on behind the scenes at the FCC," tipping him that the FCC was going to fine Infinity today over alleged indecent segments of his show from three years ago. "I can’t tell you who called me. If I told you they would lose their livelihood," explained Stern. "When I got the call from my friend who gave me the heads up, I said ‘How sure are you?’ He said, ‘99% sure.’ Stupid me thought, ‘Well, he could be wrong.’"

http://www.fmqb.com/article.asp?id=20396

[realpolitic]

Two things Bush is good for - alienating and polarizing. The left believed that ClearChannel was pushing Bush's agenda, if they were, I'm sure they won't now. I'll bet there are a few sex-addicted Stern fans who are irate enough to switch their votes!

[Shogun Gunner]

I heard this on the air this morning driving to work.... major bummer.

I do agree with his assessment that the boundary between state and religion is being erased. Well, it's not as bad as Iran, but we are heading more in that direction.

As I am lifelong Republican, I'm voting for Kerry this Fall - no doubt.

[Ned]

What has this to do with Bush? Leading conservatives like Limbaugh are on Stern's side. You ask Joe Lieberman about Stern and he would be in favor of banning Stern.

I suggest holding your fire until we find out how Bush and Kerry break out on this?