[UPDATED] Howard Stern has been taken off “suspended” from the air by Clear Channel. Not because of him doing anything more outrageous or offensive than usual, but because of pressure from the FCC as a direct result of the Janet Jackson halftime show. Whether you are a fan of Howard Stern or not isn’t the issue here, it’s about freedom of speech and the fact that right-wing conservatives are trying to dictate what is appropriate and what is offensive. It’s Unamerican. Plain and simple. I urge everyone to read up about the issue and take some action. Take 5 minutes out of your day to write some emails.
Yahoo article
Forbes article
AP article
Reuters article
Hollywood Reporter article
Clear Channel press release on new decency standards
Let Clear Channel know what you think and then let the FCC know what you think.
Being a business decision, and not a political decision, it’s as American as can be.
I also can’t help but notice in either of the articles you link to, the FCC isn’t mentioned.
I added a couple more articles for your reading enjoyment. The FCC is even mentioned!
It’s a business decision if you are talking about what Clear Channel did, but it certainly wasn’t motivated by money. Just as Stern suspects, and what I hinted at in my small rant, it has a lot to do with the backlash of the Janet Jackson incident. I would imagine that Stern brings in a fair amount of money for the Clear Channel stations he’s on.
You’re correct, making a business decison is American, but using the Janet Jackson incident as an excuse to increase the maximum fine for indecency and further regulate the airwaves stinks of trying to impress a conservative moral standard on America. What happened to people taking responsibility for themselves? If you don’t like what you see, turn it off. If you don’t like what you hear, turn it off. Bring up your own children and don’t allow the government to tell you how to do so.
If they actually took this to the courts it wouldn’t stand up.
Good article on salon.com about this. Makes reference to the idea that it may not have been a indecency thing, but a political move to silence someone speaking out against Bush… Interesting thought.
Howard Stern is an ass. It may not be fair, but at least we can finally be spared the mind-numbing crap he dishes out.
You have every right to your opinion, but he also has every right to be on the air. If you don’t like it, don’t listen.
* clap clap clap* Well said.
Listen, motherfuckers– it is the right of EVERY dumbass (so-called) American to enjoy the freedom of speech among many, many other freedoms that have already been taken away from us by Gidget W. Bush under the guise of protection, while he and his cronies carefully instill fear. Brad is right. You don’t like it? Turn the channel. Own, at least, that right. Unless, of course, you do like it (which i am inclined to believe more often than not.) Amercia the brave? No, more like Pussy Nation. We are so infatuated with what is wrong with everyone and everything else that we fail to look inside and accept responsibility there. Rest assured, if you find the bulk of your woes and problems outside of yourself, you are bullshitting only yourself into a gorgeous, dookie filled mirror of denial. You wanna eat poo? Fine with me, just keep it out of my space. God Bless. You wanna eat poo and blame it on some else? You are a giant, daisy chain of, cause and poo eating affect, the stank of which this world has frankly smelled too much of. In the words of Tangina from ‘Poltergeist,’ “Clear your mind, it knows what scares you.”‘ If Mr. Stern is the height of what spooks you, be preprared to shit yourself stupid in the coming days. Wake up, America… wake up. Nothing lasts forever, thank God.
KLSX 97.1 FM is doing some big show up at the Federal Building thing tomorrow in LA. Something to stop by?
Maybe.