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Howard Stern suspended from Clear Channel stations
Forbes ^ | 2-25-04

Posted on 02/25/2004 4:37:39 PM PST by Indy Pendance

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To: Iberian
I agree..what is next?

I am a huge Howard Stern fan...listened to him since I was in high school when he was on WNBC out of New York. I agree with many posters that he has lost his edge a bit since his divorce, turning into one of the very types of celebrities he always lampooned (eating at Nobu, going to the Hamptons, etc.). However, I think his show is still very funny, albeit uneven.

That being said, the dispute is not over ClearChannel's RIGHT to axe the Stern show...as a private company they certainly can do so. The concern is that they exercised that right in direct response to pressure from the F.C.C. and fear that they would be fined, punished, or potentially lose their license to broadcast (Howard's show is no more "indecent" now than it was pre-Janet Jackson's breast baring). As such, the real issue is whether we want to live in a country where the government can intimidate private broadcasters into censoring what they air. Yes, the issue here is alleged "indecency". However, there are no clearly defined or agreed upon parameters for what constitutes indecency. In my view, as conservatives we should err on the side of the text of the Constitution and support Freedom of Speech.

As previously suggested, the more important principle involved is that if the F.C.C. can pressure broadcasters into dropping Howard Stern, how much longer before the F.C.C. under a Hilary Clinton administration intimidates broadcasters into dropping Rush Limbaugh - for "homophobia" (Rush opposes gay marriages) or "racism" (He opposes quotas)? If John Kerry or Hilary Clinton becomes President, it does NOT seem that far-fetched to me.

In sum, for those who do not like Howard or his show, they can simply TURN THE DIAL - this is America.
421 posted on 02/26/2004 12:40:49 AM PST by larlaw
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To: WhiteGuy
Clear Channel is NOT the government or their agent. They are using their business judgement to "fire" or "drop" Howard Stern from their business. IF they get enough complaints... they can fire anybody they chose.

He who pays the piper calls the tune. Howard's tune turned TOO SOUR! So, bye-bye, howie!!

If I had made my employers mad, you can bet they would have fired me.

Too bad poor Howard will take this out on George Bush... but that figures... Howard is a liberal after all... maybe he will endorse John f'ing Kerry!!

422 posted on 02/26/2004 1:08:22 AM PST by Lion in Winter
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To: BookmanTheJanitor; ambrose
I agree. I listened to him for several years when I lived up North, and he was initally funny with his comments on politics, popular culture, and current events.

But then morning after morning it became a parade of degenerate guests in the studio with Howard saying "Take your top off..." Just creepy.

423 posted on 02/26/2004 1:19:27 AM PST by My Dog Likes Me
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To: raybbr
Try Imus, at least he talks to people without treating them like crap.

So true. It will be interesting to see what he has to say this morning. Stern and Imus are professional enemies but he will defend him. Stern is for kids and Imus is for adults.

Free Speech is messy. No one should be applauding this, imo.

424 posted on 02/26/2004 1:32:52 AM PST by leadpenny (What happens if you get scared half to death twice?)
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To: Indy Pendance
Oooo....what's that smell? Could it be the odor of PR?

prisoner6

425 posted on 02/26/2004 2:17:35 AM PST by prisoner6 (Right Wing Nuts hold the country together as the loose screws of the left fall out!)
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To: Revel
and it will also be...
too late.
426 posted on 02/26/2004 2:29:35 AM PST by Robert_Paulson2 (smaller government? you gotta be kidding!)
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To: fiftymegaton
The airwaves belong to the public. Conservatives bemoan the degradation of American culture, not liberals. Check yourself. Stern's intentional style goes way beyond "potty".
427 posted on 02/26/2004 2:33:07 AM PST by wtc911 (I got the motive which is money and the body which is dead.)
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To: leadpenny
Free Speech is messy. No one should be applauding this...

What does free speach have to do with this? His employer is taking him off the air not the government.

428 posted on 02/26/2004 3:26:22 AM PST by raybbr (My 1.4 cents - It used to be 2 cents, but after taxes - you get the idea.)
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To: Lion in Winter
OK, You didn't reead my original post, here it is.


"Congress is considering increasing the maximum fine for indecency from $27,500 to $275,000, a move that the Federal Communications Commission endorsed"


I guess Freedom of Speech is a thing of the past.........



Your rant does not address this point.
429 posted on 02/26/2004 3:33:37 AM PST by WhiteGuy (Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press...)
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To: dead
What's the government go to do with this? His employer is taking him off the air.
430 posted on 02/26/2004 3:33:50 AM PST by raybbr (My 1.4 cents - It used to be 2 cents, but after taxes - you get the idea.)
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To: hchutch
The government is not taking him off the air, his employer is.
431 posted on 02/26/2004 3:34:52 AM PST by raybbr (My 1.4 cents - It used to be 2 cents, but after taxes - you get the idea.)
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To: GeronL
Yeah,

Read my post next time before responding.



"Congress is considering increasing the maximum fine for indecency from $27,500 to $275,000, a move that the Federal Communications Commission endorsed"


I guess Freedom of Speech is a thing of the past......



432 posted on 02/26/2004 3:36:01 AM PST by WhiteGuy (Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press...)
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To: RightthinkinAmerican
You're an idiot.

My goodness, what a substantive argument.

You're going to have to do better than that.

433 posted on 02/26/2004 3:38:33 AM PST by WhiteGuy (Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press...)
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To: sarasmom
Either you believe in freedom of speech or you don't.
434 posted on 02/26/2004 3:40:53 AM PST by WhiteGuy (Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press...)
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To: raybbr
Don't think for a moment that this pressure is not coming from the FCC. Last time I looked, the FCC is part of the government.
435 posted on 02/26/2004 3:45:43 AM PST by leadpenny (What happens if you get scared half to death twice?)
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To: Lion in Winter
Too bad poor Howard will take this out on George Bush... but that figures... Howard is a liberal after all... maybe he will endorse John f'ing Kerry!!

He spent the first hour of yesterday's show doing just that BEFORE the incident.

436 posted on 02/26/2004 3:51:31 AM PST by PBRSTREETGANG
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To: sawmill trash
...the beginning of a return to some semblence of decency in America.

Be careful what you wish for. A lot of liberals have been successful in tarring conservative speech with the "hate" brush and and in claiming it's offensive. The way things are going (and evidently you think it's a good thing), conservative voices will soon be silenced under the same rules used to silence Stern.

437 posted on 02/26/2004 3:58:23 AM PST by Junior (No animals were harmed in the making of this post)
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To: OldFriend
Your post hasn't been deleted. I'm not the one who's glad that a program that many people enjoy has been pulled off the air because of political pressure in a country that ostensibly protects freedom of speech.
438 posted on 02/26/2004 4:17:34 AM PST by garbanzo (Free people will set the course of history)
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To: Indy Pendance
good!
439 posted on 02/26/2004 4:43:45 AM PST by The Mayor (And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?)
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To: garbanzo
So you thought Janet Jackson Super Bowl behaviour was just fine and we were all acting like liberals by complaining. After all lots of folks enjoyed seeing Jackson's boob.

The lack of consistency is beginning to look a lot like intellectual dishonesty. Just take a look at the threads on The Passion and see who is demanding that no criticizing be allowed. Seems a lot of freepers have taken flip flop pills these days.

No to Viacom

Yes to Howard Stern

440 posted on 02/26/2004 4:52:36 AM PST by OldFriend (Always understand, even if you remain among the few)
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