PBS altering its shows over FCC fears

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http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/entertainment/television/9132382.htm
Mon, Jul. 12, 2004
PBS altering its shows over FCC fears
By Charlie McCollum
Mercury News


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The home of "Nova," "Frontline" and "Masterpiece Theatre" is an unlikely battleground for America's culture clash over language and content on television and radio, but that's just what it's become -- much to the chagrin of those who create programming for the system. "We used to believe that context and artistic freedom would give us a fire wall" from governmental intrusion on content, said Jacoba Atlas, PBS's senior vice president for programming. "It doesn't anymore."

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...PBS has been altering its programs. Lacking deep corporate pockets to fight any fines legally and fearing that the system's cash-strapped stations would be hit by large monetary fines, PBS has started to comb its programs for -- in particular -- the so-called "dirty words." The issue first cropped up earlier this year with "Prime Suspect 6," a critically acclaimed miniseries. On the advice of attorneys, PBS exorcised a number of F-words from the show before sending it out to member stations. (The "Suspect" changes went almost unnoticed, though, because most TV writers had been sent the unedited version and did not know some of the language had been censored until after the miniseries aired.)

But on Friday at the Television Critics Association press tour, the controversy broke out into the open during PBS's presentation for "Cop Shop," an innovative police drama scheduled to air in early October. Filmed eight months ago, before the current furor, the show was to feature some of the language you would expect to hear on a drama about cops, prostitutes and life on the streets. But the more risque language will be bleeped when "Cop Shop" airs -- and creator David Black ("Law & Order") and star Richard Dreyfuss used the presentation to blast the FCC, Congress and the current atmosphere in passionate terms. "We believe that the new FCC regulations represent an unacceptable assault on our First Amendment rights, on everyone's First Amendment rights," Black said. Forcing PBS to bleep the language was, he added, "an act unworthy of a free country, an act of censorship."

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"I'm not trying to turn our schedule into 'Deadwood,' " the obscenity-laden HBO western, Atlas said. "But I do think we should allow the creative world to do what is true to the situation after 10 p.m." While PBS has filed a petition with the FCC protesting the new constraints and higher fines, executives believe they can do little else now. "All you have to do is look at the hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines somebody is paying right now," said Pat Mitchell, president and CEO of PBS. ``We have no option but to be compliant and not make our stations liable.''
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