Growing number of CBS affiliates refusing to carry profanity laden program

American Family Association/Action Alert/Email | Donald E. Wildmon

[Iam1ru1-2]

Ask the FCC to enforce broadcast decency laws should CBS air profane language during prime-time viewing hours this Sunday evening

Earlier I wrote you about the plans by CBS to air "9/11" containing hardcore profanity during primetime viewing (Supreme Court's 'safe-harbour') hours when children are most likely to be watching television. The program is schedule to air this Sunday evening.

Because of your actions, CBS announced they would not seek sponsors for the program. But they also said, sponsors or no sponsors, that they will not mute the profanity.

A growing number of CBS affiliates have publicly stated that they would not carry the program. Other affiliates are expected to drop the show or air it late at night. Those that do carry it risk at fine of $325,000 for each indecent incident. Potential fines could run into the millions of dollars.

But CBS has responded by saying that the profanity is ok to broadcast to children because it will be shown "in context" of the program itself.

If the FCC allows this as an acceptable excuse to air the profanity, it leaves the door open for CBS to show anything and everything because anything, and everything, is always "in context."

For instance, suppose CBS decides they want to air a documentary concerning pornography. Using CBS's logic, the network could show actual hardcore pornographic scenes in an "after school special" saying the scenes are "in context" and necessary because they are an integral part of the documentary.

The phrase "in context" means that CBS could (and would) show anything because it is "in context." In the final analysis "in context" means nothing is exempt.

I urge you to email the FCC urging them to reject the "in context" argument. A copy will also go to CBS. And please forward this to your friends and family.

Take Action

Send the email to the FCC asking them to reject the "in context" argument.

Contact your local CBS affiliate" and ask them not to air "9/11." Tell them you are prepared to file a formal complaint with the FCC if they do.

Please inform your friends and family.

Click Here to Email the FCC Now!

[durasell]

Virtually any action can be justified through the "slippery slope/nose of the camel" argument.

[andy58-in-nh]

Thank you, sir. I do tend to get a little agitated at anyone's suggestion that the history of 9/11 be expurgated or sanitized in any way. Perhaps it's because I care a great deal about Liberty, or maybe it's just the memory of the 2 years I worked on the 79th floor of the South Tower of the World Trade Center. That was nearly 20 years ago, but every September, it brings back a flood of images and no small amount of anger.

[A Balrog of Morgoth]

What a bunch of mincing pansies.

[CougarGA7]

Lol. Sounds like that will work. Add me to the list then.

[Howlin]

I remember the sounds of the bodies hitting ground, not the profanity.

But that's just me.

And everybody here knows I'm a HUGE fan of profanity.

[linda_22003]

I think you'd better change that to "Oh, GOSH, those poor people!" >:P

[Constitution Day]

Thanks for the heads up, I will TiVo it.

[txradioguy]

Are you really that concerned about this documentary?

Or are you using it as an excuse to get on here and rant about other things that seem to piss you off?

Cause you sure have veered wayyyy off topic.

[Iam1ru1-2]

"when they have a reality show that shows partial nudity and sex scenes they don't censor it. when they apout the gay agenda and show madonna kissing brittany (or whatever), they're right proud. but they'll lok for any excuse not to carry something like the story of 9-11 because it has a bad word in it.

And AFA protested and was THE org. that got the FCC to denounce and fine the network responsible, and increased the indecency fine by 10X. So don't blame AFA for what WAS aired on TV. It was aired INSPITE of AFA protests, but it will cost them more to do so THANKS TO AFA, and likeminded conservative orgs.

[Wuli]

Sorry. But the actual words spoken by actual living people in actual events, of such a historic nature do not deserve any editing simply because we object to the choice of words some of the actual people used. History deserves that we hear their actual words, warts and all. They should not be sanitized for us. They are not our words and we are not responsible for them, nor must we feel guilty about our government letting others hear them.

The call for the editing is grossly misplaced, in this particular instance.

[colorado tanker]

Agreed. The fact that it was filmed in real time inside the building with the cameraman not knowing what was happening brings home the horror of the day better than any other film or photo I've seen, with the possible exception of the jumper pictures. But even then, I remember the horror when I realized they were in the audio.

[McGavin999]

That's right. It's none of OUR business what Iran is doing in THEIR country. We should mind OUR OWN f-ing business, RIGHT?

Did you have to practice to get that dumb, or did that come natural to you?

[RichInOC]

I'm pretty sure that "Oh, God" isn't cursing if you're actually talking to Him. Or is that depending too much on context?

[muryan]

This is getting out of control. Next post is going to link profanity to islamic jihadists, or pluto being removed as a planet.

[Howlin]

Sunday, September 10, 8 P.M.

While I was searching, I found this from 2002.

WRAL To Air CBS Sept. 11 Documentary "9-11" Will Air Without Commercial Interruption

French filmmakers & brothers Gedeon and Jules Naudet happened to be filming a documentary about New York firefighters on the day of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. They have now created a stunning documentary with never before-broadcast video of the World Trade Center attacks. On Sunday, March 10, at 9:00pm, WRAL-TV will air "9-11: Camera At Ground Zero," a CBS documentary about the events of September 11th. The program will air without local commercial interruption.

The documentary stands as a tribute to the firefighters who died and those who helped in the rescue operation; photos of all 343 firefighters who perished are flashed at the end of the program. The Naudet brothers happened to be following Engine 7, Ladder 1, in lower Manhattan when the first plane hit the World Trade Center. Jules Naudet heard a noise and turned his camera upward, catching the only known video of the first plane hitting the tower.

On the spot the brothers decided not to film any of the gory images surrounding them. They did not focus their cameras on the women in the lobby they saw on fire or the suicide jumpers or the dead firefighters. Instead, they captured the rescue personnel who risked, and some lost, their lives trying to save others.

Although the documentary does not contain graphic images, the only dead body shown is a still of the now famous photo of firefighters carrying Fire Chaplain Rev. Mychal Judge out of the towers, the language in the film is explicit. CBS and the Naudet brothers decided that the profanity used in the footage should be kept. "The language was rough but the circumstances were rough," said executive producer Susan Zirinsky.

Hollywood legend Robert De Niro narrates the documentary. Nextel is picking up the tab for the national broadcast and will air inspirational messages during the seven minutes and 30 seconds set aside for commercial time.

Because of the strong language in "9-11," viewer discretion is advised.

POSTED: March 8, 2002

[colorado tanker]

You're just going to have to get over the fact that men and women in uniform tend to cuss. They willingly risk death for you - you could cut them some slack.

[txradioguy]

You got that right.

Hooah!

[CougarGA7]

Well I'm glad Pluto has been removed as a planet. Pluto is a dog for pete's sake.

[linda_22003]

Okay.

You've gone from bad words on a program that you've confused with a different one;

to the situation in Iran;

to partial-birth abortion.

You're not experiencing Divine Anger; you're experiencing total idiocy. Just reading your posts is making me lose IQ points.

[Howlin]

Can one of you come over here and connect my DVD recorder?