Posted on 02/26/2004 8:32:25 PM PST by Samwise
Prominent broadcast personality Tom Griswold says he has no intention of testing a "zero-tolerance" edict on indecency issued Wednesday by the country's largest radio conglomerate.
Clear Channel Communications announced plans to make certain that material aired on its 1,200 stations doesn't run afoul of the Federal Communications Commission.
Tom Griswold Griswold and co-host Bob Kevoian have made careers out of sexual innuendo and double entendres on morning airwaves, as their "Bob & Tom Show" is syndicated from Indianapolis to more than 130 radio stations coast to coast.
Clear Channel owns the program's home station, WFBQ-FM (94.7).
"We're going to do a show that a soccer mom can listen to with her kids in the car," Griswold said.
While Griswold and Kevoian have incurred one FCC penalty in more than 20 years of broadcasting, Clear Channel announced its new policy a day after it severed ties with a Florida disc jockey whose sexually explicit work prompted a proposed fine of $755,000.
Clear Channel also announced Wednesday that shock-jock Howard Stern's show won't be heard on any of its stations unless it conforms to the new policy.
"Clear Channel is serious about helping address the rising tide of indecency on the airwaves," Mark Mays, president and chief operating officer, said in a statement. "As broadcast licensees, we are fully responsible for what our stations air, and we intend to make sure all our DJs and programmers understand what is and what is not appropriate."
The company's action comes three weeks after the uproar created by the partial nudity that aired during CBS' Super Bowl halftime show featuring Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson.
Griswold notes, however, that the radio industry received its wake-up call before the Timberlake-Jackson debacle. The FCC issued its ruling against Tampa, Fla., radio personality "Bubba the Love Sponge" on Jan. 26, six days before the Super Bowl.
The penalized segments included graphic discussions about sex and drugs that were "designed to pander to, titillate and shock listeners," the FCC said. One segment featured cartoon characters, such as George Jetson and Fat Albert, discussing sexual activities.
Griswold and Kevoian, each in their 50s, don't fit the typical descriptions of "shock jocks," despite a 1985 advertising boycott of their show led by a group called Decency in Broadcasting.
(Excerpt) Read more at indystar.com ...
Oh, great! Non-stop Bill Clinton speeches.
So is my husband. And no, Bob and Tom are not in the shock jock category. They have done a lot of wonderful things for the community, and they are big supporters of the troops. As radio personalities go, they are actually pretty conservative in their values.
I just don't care for their show myself and won't let my daughter listen to it. They remind me of junior high with all the giggling and potty jokes.
My brother-in-law is a big fan, too. We bought him one of their CDs for Christmas. Some of the parodies were hysterical. But no, not for my kid.
With all the brohaha about Howard Stern, I thought people might be interested in succesfull radio guys who aren't screaming about their boss imposing standards.
LOL.
I'm 37. Did you hear the one about the....
Always have time for a younger man.... ;^)
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