PBS Stations Brave Potential FCC Fines

[Babel_17]

Source: The Internet Movie Database

PBS Stations Brave Potential FCC Fines
Six public broadcasting stations -- in New York, Boston, Albany, San Francisco, Tampa, and Los Angeles -- have decided to brave the potential wrath of the FCC and broadcast an unedited version of Operation Homecoming on Monday, a documentary assessing the war in Iraq through the words of soldiers serving there. Some of those words are profanities, and some of the images are described as "graphic." Today's (Friday) Los Angeles Times reported that in all other cities, PBS stations are airing an edited version of the documentary, fearful of incurring fines for indecency otherwise. (Last year a PBS station in San Mateo, CA was fined for not bleeping expletives in a documentary about blues musicians.) In an interview with today's (Friday) Los Angeles Times, Tom Yellin, the documentary's executive producer, commented that the threat of sanctions to stations that air the unedited version "Is unfortunate and silly." He added: "What's really troubling in the film is not the language; it's the experience we're asking, as a country, an entire generation of men and women to subject themselves to."

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0481453/



Read more: http://www.imdb.com/news/sb/2007-04-13/

[Demeter]

1. And How Exactly Could the FCC Justify Fines?

This isn't some shock jock, or tawdry celebrity. This is a war.

[Robbien]

2. They shouldn't. The head of the FCC is a GOPer who hates PBS

The FCC will fine PBS.

[Babel_17]

3. Some LA Times links

From oldest to newest:

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/iraq/complete/la-et-homecoming6apr06,1,3217351.story

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/la-et-crossroads9apr09,1,3731352.story

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/iraq/complete/la-et-pbs13apr13,1,1981346.story

[Buzz Clik]

4. Welcome to the Third World

[Jack Rabbit]

5. Let's go on the air and pronounce FCC phonically

. . . and see if they complain.

[valerief]

10. LOL! Good one! Fa Ca Ca. nt

[melm00se]

6. here is the guidance that the FCC

uses and has to defend against any appeals:

http://www.fcc.gov/eb/oip/FAQ.html#TheLaw

This will, almost certainly, be found to fall under the same protections that have been applied to the broadcasting of movies the "Saving Private Ryan".

[tanyev]

7. OMG! Soldiers swear? War is bloody?

Pass the smelling salts, Mabel.

[Babel_17]

8. PBS link

http://www.pbs.org/weta/crossroads/about/show_operation_homecoming.html

<snip>

OPERATION HOMECOMING is a unique documentary that explores the firsthand accounts of American servicemen and women through their own words. The film is built upon a project created by the National Endowment for the ArtsOff-site link to gather the writing of servicemen and women and their families who have participated in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

<end snip>

The site has embedded links to more information and even a film preview.

[Babel_17]

28. "Due to the threat of heavy fines ....."

I live on Long Island, in NY, and I'm getting the edited version (Channel 713, high definition). Part One, Warriors, was edited for language too.

Seeing as how this is no longer breaking news if people want to discuss the broadcast itself maybe a new thread should be started.

Thanks for all the great posts!

Edit: Crap, the beeping out of the cussing is annoying.

[valerief]

9. Why would Janet Jackson's boob be in such a documentary?

:sarcasm:

[Babel_17]

11. I apologize for posting as I'm absorbing the info .....

but holy cow, Joe Haldeman is in the film too!

http://www.pbs.org/weta/crossroads/about/show_operation_homecoming_film.html

<snip>
"Joe Haldeman was born in Oklahoma City in 1943, and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, and Washington, D.C. The recipient of a B.S. in Astronomy from the University of Maryland and an M.F.A. in creative writing from the University of Iowa, he served in the U.S. Army from 1967-1969 as a combat engineer. Stationed in the central Vietnam highlands, he was severely injured and received the Purple Heart. His first novel, War Year (1972), which draws from his own wartime diary, follows Private John Farmer through a year of service in Vietnam. Haldeman turned to science fiction for his second novel, The Forever War (1975), about galactic soldiers in combat and the difficulties they face in their preparations to return to an Earth that has aged thousands of years while they have aged only a few. The Forever War received the two most prestigious science fiction honors, the Hugo and Nebula awards."
<end snip>

He's a science fiction legend, his books have left a lasting impression on me.

[nosmokes]

12. oh c'mon, in this country we make women's breasts obscene to mollify

the prurient interests of some nutso religous freaks. we even had an AG that had to cover up the breasts on a *statue.* no way can our sensibilities be assaulted by profane language.

me, i say fuck the puritans, right in their flannel pantaloon covered asses.

[anotherdrew]

13. democrats should come out and say any fines will be repaid by the FCC ASAP

these god-damned sons-of-bitches bush has put in will be FULLY and COMPLETELY REPUDIATED - every decision revisited. Say clearly that such fines are only for censoring speech republicans deem inconvenient politically and such crass manipulation will not stand. Officials making such fines should be criminally charged. At least banned from ever serving in the government again.

[YankeyMCC]

14. Glad I'm in Boston

and that our PBS station is one of the ones truly adhering to their charter and providing a public service.

[cyberpj]

15. I'm calling PHILADELPHIA. Others should call their PBS stations who caved. nt

[adadem]

16. I'm shocked that Grand Rapids, MI didn't

cave as this is a totally fundie area. It's being shown here but at 2:00 am on Wednesday morning.

[Up2Late]

17. Showing it at 2:00am is NOT caving? I'd say it is.

It's bad enough that the PBS Stations in my area now show FRONTLINE an hour after it's original Air-time (9:00pm) so that it's too late for my Mother to stay awake for, but 2:00am? Only those with TEVO and people who know how to program their VCRs will see it when they show it at that time.

And I hate to say it but, who usually knows how to program the VCR? The Kids.

[davidinalameda]

18. I'm not a big fan of KQED but if they get fined

they'll get a donation from me

[Babel_17]

19. Found a lot of youtube clips

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Operation+Homecoming&search=Search

Edit: Irony of ironies, the youtube search page has a McCain banner ad up top, "Surrender Is Not An Option".

[SoCalDem]

20. And if the soldiers had said "this war is going F'ing fabulous"?

"Our president is an F'ing genius"?

they would be in DC getting medals of freedom :)

[Kber]

21. No - they'd be getting f'ing medals of freedom!

effen A, man!

[Ilsa]

22. I wish Houston PBS, and maybe San Antonio PBS would jump on

board. I see alot of names missing, like Chicago, Philadelphia, etc missing.

[mistertrickster]

23. Double post, sorry. nt

[mistertrickster]

24. The real story is that this documentary is getting aired at all:

It states that

1. Al Qaeda terrorism against the US was primarily due to stationing US troops in Arabia ("the land of the two holies and the qiblah toward which all Muslims pray".

This is an important fact that Worst. President. Ever. has totally kept silent about, offering instead the lame "they hate us for our freedoms."

2. the invasion of Iraq was exactly what Al Qaeda hoped for, a long war of attrition in a middle eastern country.

3. ties between Al Qaeda and Saddam were non-existent, just like we said all along . . .

[bamacrat]

25. Apparently anything (the turth) warrants a fine.

Our country is becoming Nazi Germany it seems. Our press is sensored, our law unfair and cruley implemented, and we are trying to conquer the world.

[MasonJar]

26. I thought that they got rid of that idiot!

[Arugula Latte]

27. How fricking transparent can they be?

Jesus ... Anyone who deviates slightly from the approved propaganda gets slapped. What the hell happened to this country (besides a stolen election/coup and the disastrous acquiescence of most of the public ...)