Posted on 11/15/2004 2:36:33 PM PST by Cashewmania
'Ryan' Viewers Complain to FCC
Mon Nov 15, 3:03 AM ET Entertainment - Reuters TV
By Andrew Wallenstein
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - The Federal Communications Commission (news - web sites) has confirmed it received complaints about the uncensored broadcast of Oscar-winning war movie "Saving Private Ryan" on ABC-affiliated stations last week.
Reuters Photo
An FCC (news - web sites) official said several complaints were filed Friday, the day after the Veterans Day broadcast, but couldn't say how many or who or where they are from. The commission has to have a complaint before it can take action.
Groups affiliated with the American Family Assn., a conservative Christian group that monitors the airwaves, pledged Thursday to flood the FCC with complaints about the language and violence in Steven Spielberg's film.
All told, "Ryan" aired in about 71% of the country, according to Nielsen data. Of ABC's 225 affiliates, 159 went ahead with "Ryan," while 66 did not. All of ABC's owned stations aired "Ryan," though stations in major markets including Boston, Atlanta and Nashville declined.
An ABC spokeswoman said Friday that the network received favorable viewer feedback and was willing to respond to any complaints the FCC receives. The network issued a statement standing by its decision.
"ABC applauds the majority of its local television affiliates across the country who chose to be part of this important Veterans' Day television event," the network said.
Despite the fact that about 30% of ABC's stations pre-empted "Ryan," the film's ratings were strong enough to power the network's to its best performance in total viewers and the coveted adults 18-49 demographic this season. An audience of 7.7 million tuned in.
anybody who didnt know ahead of time what was in there,and still watched just to complain is an idiot!There is a difference between porn and a war movie(great one)get a life
As much as I appreciate a lot of their work, they need to get a life over this. War is hell (they'll probably complain about me saying H-E-double hockey sticks!)
It's not Christian Idiots.. just idiots. I'm as practicing a Catholic as one can be, and I fully support Saving Private Ryan being on network TV. It's not the best war movie out there, but it is certainly very good and a fitting tribute to the hells of war and the heroes that fight them.
If only they showed Band of Brothers on ABC..
i didn't say christian..it could be anyone,but whoever--come on get real..maybe even libs justmaking trouble,who knows,this should close this thread it's so dumb to complain about a great movie shown on vet erans day
There is this nifty contraption called a "remote control." On this doohickey, there are little "buttons" that "change channels." It's really revolutionary...
How refreshing to see Christians have formed obnoxious activist groups that attempt to limit our civil liberties, and I thought that task was reserved for the ACLU and other leftist idiots. Last time I checked an estimate of 50 million people died in WWII, and I'm sure there was some searing too.
This is just dumb they knew what this movie had
Swearing that is.
it's the crazies on the right and the crazies on the left (god knows how many there) that has this country hating each other so much..now that's not american or christian or jewish or...and we better get it together,because there is an enemy outhere
Well stated! That's the sort of lunacy that gives Christianity a repellant image. Me? Christian, sure. I just don't watch.
It is THESE people that costs us elections.
I couldn't agree more. people need to silence these nuts on both sides of the political spectrum. On a positive note America is not as divided as the extremists make it out to be.
Band of Brothers is excellent. The series along with Private Ryan, are the only two DVDs I would ever consider buying.
IN BOB it is worth noting that the BOB went AWOL from the hospital to rejoin their BOB at the front line. This of course, in sharp contrast with Kerry who games his "wounds" to high tail it back to the states.
Change. The. Channel.
Well .. what bothers me about this movie - is the language. Partly because during WWII - the use of the "F" word was not prevelant. It's use in this movie is more a liberal culture thing .. and not because that was how GI's of that era talked.
I believe the use of the "F" word became popular during the Vietnam era - not WWII. I was very young when WWII was over, and I never heard the "F" word until I was almost out of high school - more than 10 years after the fact.
This is a lot like an ambush. "We" know it will have coarse language and violence (gee, in a war movie?) "we" know we will be offended, "we'll" watch it and complain. Unnnnnngh!
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