Radio News You Can't Use

Indecency Update
With all the sidelong glances and melodramatic plot twists of a telenovela, the FCC's assault on our first amendment rights rages onward. This month's edition is 30% more mysterious, with an added dose of contention. The month began on a queer note, as the FCC collected and reviewed tapes from old sports broadcasts as some sort of crowd-noise obscenity analysis of football games and NASCAR races. The FCC couldn't be bothered to justify this waste of time, but we are confident that the federal government has the power to wash out the mouths of sports fans and coaches with a sudsy bar of soap.

In another curious move, the FCC wants to reconsider some of its broadcast profanity decisions before the courts get a chance to rip apart their fuzzy logic. If CBS has their way, a really steamy court battle is about to begin: the TV network paid off their $550,000 indecency fine (reparation for exposing America to a half-second of nipple) this month, but only because that is a necessary step in the appeal process. We're not the only ones hoping that CBS's lawyers will take the FCC to task on its unclear indecency standards: bigwigs at both Fox and PBS have recently spoken out against the foggy guidelines.

Thankfully, station KFYE in sleepy Kingsburg, California, is exercising its right to broadcast heavy breathing, moaning, and sexually-themed tunes without crossing the line (wherever that happens to be). They're calling themselves Porn Radio (thanks Bill).

Open Discourse for Media Ownership Negotiations
Eighty-four members of the House signed a letter to the FCC, asking the commission to hold public hearings as it revisits media ownership rules. This move is going to make things more difficult for Chairman Martin, who was hoping to slip this one past the public after hours and behind closed doors. Free Press has set up a campaign called Stop Big Media, where you can get more info about the issue and send comments to the FCC.

New Improved Radio Brattleboro
Community station Radio Free Brattleboro in Vermont, who operated without a license for years until their equipment was seized by the FCC last year, will soon return with a legit FM license.

Satellite Radio Stalled
Sirius and XM got into a bit of hot water with the FCC this month, when it was found that some satellite radio receivers made for cars can interfere with broadcast radio signals in neighboring cars. Production of these models has been halted until the problem is resolved.

Chicago Public Station Ditches the Tunes
WBEZ in Chicago has officially scrapped all music programming, including nightly jazz shows, in favor of an all-news format.

Voice of America Out of Russia
Radio stations in Russia have been forced to remove programming produced by two Western-based news services, Voice of America and Radio Liberty/Radio Free Europe.

More Radio-Related Headlines from Beware of the Blog over the past month:
- Check out the Professor's amazing collection of AM radio scans
- Megan exposes the UK-centric phenomenon of hospital radio
- Old Country vs. New Country radio formats
- PBS stations are now bleeping AND blurring mouths that utter curse words
- Experimental radio was a bit different in 1925

Comments

[gbr]

aaaw, what is wrong with these people? this is so hard to comprehend for me as a scandinavian; why don't you guys cry out against these 1984-jerks!!? Do they at all have any support in the general population?