Stern Partially Silenced, Defended by Congressman

FMQB ^ | 3/12/04

[Ol' Sparky]

"When I got into radio, it was a wasteland of people playing records and news guys not giving opinions," Stern continued. "I got on the air and changed it. I bucked the system. The reason there are freedoms on the air today is because of what I did. Period. End of sentence. I fought everyone who ever said to me, 'You can't do what you are doing on the air.' I've been fighting it for 25 years so jerk-offs like Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh and the whole lot of them could get on the air and have a party. I'm all for it and all for free speech, but remember who got you there. It's not the guys who didn't take risks. It's the guys who are on the front line. Rush Limbaugh wasn't on the frontlines of Vietnam because of his knee injury and he wasn't on the frontlines of the radio industry when I was breaking down all the walls. The same with Bill O'Reilly. He was an anchorman sitting there behaving himself and then they all saw what radio could be and what television could be and what it's like to express themselves. And now they all sit idly by."

And, to think, Rush defended this creep's "free speech" rights...

[contessa machiaveli]

i don't want the government to determine who i can listen to on the radio. i'm an adult and can decide for myself. what is the definition of indecency?
the feds are making a huge mistake with this crusade. remember these words. howard will not go quietly into the night...nor should he.

[isthisnickcool]

I don't like Stern or Kerry or Hillary or Bill or etc,etc,etc. But I'll be the last one to say they can't speak whatever garbage they have to say. I don't have to listed to it. In Stern's case I can turn him off or change the channel. As well as the others.

If Stern's employer wishes to silence him that's their option. Not the gov't. It's also Stern's option to find another employer or become his own. He certainly has the money to do whatever he wants so I'll shed no tears for Stern. Who I expect is very happy since many grownups are actually paying attantion to him for a change. For a minute anyway.

As far as Stern trashing Bush? Screw Stern!<--See, I get to say that (as long as it's OK with JR).

[sox_the_cat]

I agree, even Mancow is knocking Bush lately on Fox in the morning.

[Prodigal Son]

And, to think, Rush defended this creep's "free speech" rights...

Yep, and Rush was right too.

[2banana]

Mr. Stern:

You rant and rave about protecting the 1st Amendment of the US Constitution. You call yourself a defender of the Constitution and are being sacrificed for defending it.

Yet you have continually and incessantly attacked the 2nd Amendment of the US Constitution for years.

You have failed to realize that the same arguments that you have personally used to attack one Amendment of the Bill of Rights could be used to attack any part of the Bill of Rights.

You just can't pick or choose that parts you want to defend. It is an all or nothing kind of thing.

Sadly, you are now learning that lesson.

Regards,

2banana


"Foolish liberals who are trying to read the Second Amendment out of the Constitution by claiming it's not an individual right or that it's too much of a public safety hazard don't see the danger in the big picture. They're courting disaster by encouraging others to use the same means to eliminate portions of the Constitution they don't like."
--Alan Dershowitz

[Who dat?]

Right-wing radio which demonizes liberals, minorities, environmentalists, pro-choice and animal rights activists, they are fine, they will not be touched.

Yes. Demonizing isn’t prohibited. Certain issues dealing with nudity, indecency, vulgarity, and profanity are.

For instance (at least at one time), there were prohibitions against broadcasting graphic detail regarding excreta. It was usually considered urine and feces, though I guess it would cover waste excreted from the body in general.

Stern knows all this, BTW. Don’t fall for the “what did I do” line. So Stern promptly brings in some mentally disturbed man so a female guest can vomit on him. So does vomit constitute waste excreted from the body? Does their description of the act constitute “graphic detail?”

That’s the type of thing the FCC has to waste time trying to determine. Don’t get sidetracked by the dupes claiming it has to do with demonizing or silencing someone – there’s no “right” to broadcast. Never has been.

Their license gives them the privilege to broadcast provided they comply with a book full of regulations. They’ve never been bashful enforcing those regulations on the amateur side and it’s nice they’re momentarily looking at the commercial side.

[Weimdog]

"Yet you have continually and incessantly attacked the 2nd Amendment of the US Constitution for years."

You'll have to back that one up with a direct quote because Stern admits to packing his own heat.

I used to be a daily listener to Stern until I discovered adult radio, but I will defend Stern's right to say whatever he wants as long as he doesn't say the 7 dirty words. If one finds his statements crude, change the channel.

[ijcr]

Then pray tell us why there is a time delay and cut off button for every caller to a radio program? Why is it that the public's free speech is controlled and not the hosts'?
Stern can move to satellite radio and if his show is that good he will get the listeners.

[AmishDude]

Baba Booey!

Just trying to bring the proper tone to the Stern threads.

You may all continue reading about the regularly-scheduled bleating from the poor widdle victim.

[Paradox]

I think it is reasonable for the government to impose some kind of restrictions on BROADCAST speech. The question is, what kind and how much? Since they are PUBLIC airways, the public should have some say in it.

Honestly, Stern should take his act (I am a STERN show FAN, yes, I admit it) to cable (which he has, on the E! channel) and satellite. Then he could REALLY go off!

As much as I like his show, ya know, the guy is a bit... paranoid, always has been. Has those "issues" about his father, blah blah, sometimes he wusses out like that..

[hchutch]

Agreed. If he's going down at the hands of the FCC, he is going to take the Republicans down with him.

There should have been outreach, particularly after 9/11, but the GOP was too afraid of the fit the "culture warriors" would have thrown to take that step. And, with the Janet Jackson incident turning the prude patrol loose big-time, we're being perceived as favoring censorship, and that perception is causing people who would otherwise vote for Bush to consider voting for Kerry.

Talk about stupidity...

[gdani]

Their license gives them the privilege to broadcast provided they comply with a book full of regulations

And what exactly are the FCC regulations governing speech such as Howard Stern's?

(I already know the answer -- it's whatever the FCC feels like at any given moment).

[mhking]

There was a time when Stern would jump up and down and go off on the notion of anyone who whined like he is doing.

I guess what's good for the goose is not good for the gander, eh, Howard?

[lonerepubinma]

I get a kick out of those who choose to constantly "push the envelope" and then get upset when the envelope rips.

[oceanview]

there would be total chaos on the public airwaves for both TV and radio without government regulation. porn and profanity would be everywhere, and you cannot have enough electronic devices to screen the material from children, or from the culture as a whole. what stern does is not political speech.

[oceanview]

any standard written by men is by definition arbitrary. the alternate to arbitrary rules, is no rules at all. imagine what broadcast TV and radio would be like in that environment?

[hchutch]

This isn't whining. The AFA has all but said they want him off the air, and the FCC could do so. The prude patrol is on the loose, and Howard's fighting back.

[Ol' Sparky]

No, he is wrong on this one. One doesn't have the right to say anything on the public airwaves any more than someone has right to post pornographic pictures on a billboard on an busy interstate.