ABC TV Stations Appeal Indecency Fines for NYPD Blue Scene
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Force Commander
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ABC TV Stations Appeal Indecency Fines for NYPD Blue Scene
"We are the CC Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your broadcast stations. We will add your biological and creative distinctiveness to our own. Your broadcast personality will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile."
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Force Commander
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Apparently the appeal has failed. From http://www.allaccess.com
As expected, the FCC denied the appeal by ABC-owned stations and its affiliates for their FEB. 23rd, 2003 broadcast of "NYPD BLUE," which showed a woman's bare buttocks. According to BROADCASTING & CABLE, the FCC gave 40 affiliates until FEB. 21st -- approximately 52 hours from the appeal denial -- to pay the $27,500 fine. At the same time, it cancelled the fines to one dozen other stations. Reasons for the cancellation range from the expiration of a stature of limitation, to the fact that no one in the affiliates' market complained about the episode.
The FCC rejected arguments that it gave the affiliates insufficient time to appeal the ruling; the stations noted that they only had 17 days to file their appeal, when the usual time is 30 days. The COMMISSION asserted that it isn't required to give 30 days to appeal.
What if the stations refuse to pay the fine? According to the report, the FCC would have to go to district courts in each station's market to try to force them to pay up.
"The decision is disappointing," ABC counsel WADE HARGROVE said. "I'm sure that affiliates will assess the options now available to them. It is encouraging that the commission dismissed a number of complaints for failure to comply with the commission's requirements for the submission of complaints against broadcast stations."
As expected, the FCC denied the appeal by ABC-owned stations and its affiliates for their FEB. 23rd, 2003 broadcast of "NYPD BLUE," which showed a woman's bare buttocks. According to BROADCASTING & CABLE, the FCC gave 40 affiliates until FEB. 21st -- approximately 52 hours from the appeal denial -- to pay the $27,500 fine. At the same time, it cancelled the fines to one dozen other stations. Reasons for the cancellation range from the expiration of a stature of limitation, to the fact that no one in the affiliates' market complained about the episode.
The FCC rejected arguments that it gave the affiliates insufficient time to appeal the ruling; the stations noted that they only had 17 days to file their appeal, when the usual time is 30 days. The COMMISSION asserted that it isn't required to give 30 days to appeal.
What if the stations refuse to pay the fine? According to the report, the FCC would have to go to district courts in each station's market to try to force them to pay up.
"The decision is disappointing," ABC counsel WADE HARGROVE said. "I'm sure that affiliates will assess the options now available to them. It is encouraging that the commission dismissed a number of complaints for failure to comply with the commission's requirements for the submission of complaints against broadcast stations."
"We are the CC Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your broadcast stations. We will add your biological and creative distinctiveness to our own. Your broadcast personality will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile."
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Arp2
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ABC's Nightline, in a story about thin male models back on the 9th, showed a male underwear commercial that also happened to have a female who was "covering" her breasts but was revealing her left nipple.
Even in the midst of an appeal, the network stepped over the next line.
Late in the show, it hit about midnight eastern and 11 central, though. I haven't heard anything about anyone else noticing it, but, with Leno and Letterman back at that point, perhaps no one else happened to see Nightline that night....
Even in the midst of an appeal, the network stepped over the next line.
Late in the show, it hit about midnight eastern and 11 central, though. I haven't heard anything about anyone else noticing it, but, with Leno and Letterman back at that point, perhaps no one else happened to see Nightline that night....
"I don't know the same things you don't know."
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"Yeeee...it looks like a 'Belt Buckle & Ball Cap' convention in here......"
"Yes, you do; you just won't admit it!"
"Yeeee...it looks like a 'Belt Buckle & Ball Cap' convention in here......"
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Force Commander
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Remember the standard in news programming is somewhat looser if it relates to a news story. However it is still up to the FCC's judgment whether it was indecent or not.
"We are the CC Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your broadcast stations. We will add your biological and creative distinctiveness to our own. Your broadcast personality will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile."
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Big Media
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Ace Purple
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Safe harbor falls between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., so ABC should be in the clear on the Nightline broadcast.Arp2 wrote:Even in the midst of an appeal, the network stepped over the next line.
On Twitter: @LouPickney
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AmpedNow
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Yeah. I'd rather see some war footage of people being sawed in half by a halo of bullets or decapitated by Islamic extremists. Or the best: raw 9/11 footage.
War is hell, you know... I think Americans should see first hand the carnage of war. Plaster it all over every TV. Maybe that will snap them out of their complacency.
But I'll be god damned if I'm gonna tolerate a boob on my TV set. Don't matter the context. It's all smut.
TO HELL WITH SMUT!
War is hell, you know... I think Americans should see first hand the carnage of war. Plaster it all over every TV. Maybe that will snap them out of their complacency.
But I'll be god damned if I'm gonna tolerate a boob on my TV set. Don't matter the context. It's all smut.
TO HELL WITH SMUT!
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Arp2
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I know....I was referring more to the idea that, despite being in the midst of a problem with a butt, they go ahead and show a breast and nipple (though, frankly, they might not have even noticed it). Regardless of being in/out of safe harbor, it seems a foolish thing to do.Ace Purple wrote:Safe harbor falls between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., so ABC should be in the clear on the Nightline broadcast.Arp2 wrote:Even in the midst of an appeal, the network stepped over the next line.
"I don't know the same things you don't know."
"Yes, you do; you just won't admit it!"
"Yeeee...it looks like a 'Belt Buckle & Ball Cap' convention in here......"
"Yes, you do; you just won't admit it!"
"Yeeee...it looks like a 'Belt Buckle & Ball Cap' convention in here......"
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Ace Purple
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The PTC is actively soliciting people in the Central and Mountain time zones to complain about an episode of the NBC show Las Vegas from last Friday night.
Here's the story, via the Hollywood Reporter.
Here's the story, via the Hollywood Reporter.
On Twitter: @LouPickney