Bill Would Ban Some Swear Words From Radio, TV

AP ^ | Dec 15, 2003 | Erica Werner

[Dr. Zzyzx]

Bill Would Ban Some Swear Words From Radio, TV By Erica Werner Associated Press Writer Published: Dec 15, 2003

WASHINGTON (AP) - A California lawmaker, upset that rock star Bono used vulgarity on live TV and regulators have done nothing about it, wants to ban certain swear words from the airwaves.

Republican Rep. Doug Ose said he was amazed when the Federal Communications Commission refused to take action against television stations that showed the U2 frontman using an expletive at the Golden Globe Awards last January.

The FCC's enforcement bureau said in October that Bono's comment was an adjective or expletive that did not meet its definition of indecency or obscenity because it did not describe a sexual function.

"C'mon, give me a break," said Ose. "I don't think there's a parent in the country who wants to hear this stuff come out of their TV."

He introduced a bill last week that would punish television and radio broadcasters if they aired any of eight specific words and phrases. The language of the bill, the Clean Airwaves Act, is far saltier than Bono's comment.

The five FCC commissioners, responding to an appeal by the Parents Television Council, a Los Angeles-based watchdog group, are reviewing the October decision regarding Bono's comment.

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On the Net:

Ose's bill, H.R. 3687, at http://thomas.loc.gov/

AP-ES-12-15-03 1722EST

Copyright 2003 Associated Press

[leadpencil1]

John effin Kerry would be in big trouble!

[FreedomAvatar]

"C'mon, give me a break," said Ose. "I don't think there's a parent in the country who wants to hear this stuff come out of their TV."

Correct. But that's for me to decide, not the government.

[dfwgator]

He introduced a bill last week that would punish television and radio broadcasters if they aired any of eight specific words and phrases

I thought George Carlin said there were only seven.

[EggsAckley]

there were only seven

Maybe the word Hillary has been added to the list.

[MineralMan]

Silliness. Every kid in America knows all eight of those words by age six. They might not know what they mean, but they know the words.

Is it all right to say them? Depends. Last time I bashed my thumb with a hammer, I said at least half of them. Should I be arrested?

[F16Fighter]

Words and phrases like: Homo, fag, fat water-buffalo, fruitcake, Jesus, God, and Christ will be termed vulgar, while b*tch, ho, f**k, and the rest of George Carlin's naughty words will be found to be a-ok and business as usual.

[kitkat]

Interesting! Have any of you ever seen an old Jack Benny show? He got a tremendous laugh with just one word, "WELL!" Of course, a comedian who perfected his act didn't have to depend on shock words to get laughs.

[templar]

But that's for me to decide, not the government.

We have a representative government here. This means it is you deciding. The ariwaves are licensed by you, through the government, to various individuals and corporations. You have a right to impose reasonable public regulation on them through your government representatives acting on your behalf.

[Yohan]

John Kerry is deeply f***ing saddend

[mhking]

The thought police strike again...

Just damn.

If you want on the new list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...

[jsbankston]

You have a right to impose reasonable public regulation on them through your government representatives acting on your behalf.

Wow, A Freeper that supports the Fairness Doctrine. I never thought I would run across one of you.

Why don't we let the market decide what can and cannot be said.

[Wheee The People]

I hope they ban the word "progressive". It's offensive!

[E Rocc]

Silliness. Every kid in America knows all eight of those words by age six. They might not know what they mean, but they know the words.

Is it all right to say them? Depends. Last time I bashed my thumb with a hammer, I said at least half of them. Should I be arrested?

If this bill is seriously debated will the news media be able to use the words themselves, in the context of reporting serious news? After all, that's what they did with the John Wayne Bobbit and Lewinsky stories.

-Eric

[miloklancy]

Like PC people trying to edit people's speech, I'm not sure that anybody's time is wisely spent by trying to ban curse words. Profanity is a useful device in speech, however the problem in todays lies in the fact that curse words don't mean anything anymore. Gangster Rap artists have set a precedent by using expletives as much as as they use the word "the". There actually use to be a time that when you used the "f" word or the "s" word, actually meant something. Now it is just used schizophrenic Democratic presidential hopefuls, who somehow think they are courting the nation's youth who don't vote anyway.

[EveningStar]

Memo to Ose:

Shut up and stop embarrassing Republicans.

[Orangedog]

The idiots in the House and Senate have done quite enough to restrict various forms of speech in the past two years, and gutted the 1st Amendment in the process. Time for them to shut up and sit down.

[Orangedog]

That group of money-grubbing, power-mad dolts could mess up a regular bowel movement with legislation. The less they do, the better off we all are.

[FreedomAvatar]

We have a representative government here.

No we don't. We have knee-jerk zealot who wants to act like a typical government nanny. What eight specific phrases does the tender congressman find offensive? Should we make it nine? Ten? Good golly, we wouldn't want anyone to be offended, now would we?

[Orangedog]

I want to be watching C-Span and have the VCR ready when this bill is read into the congressional record.