Quote:
Originally posted by DeltAlum
But to say that Stern was taken off the air because he spoke against President Bush is ridiculous. Hey, Rush managed to survive the Clinton years after daily tirades -- and will survive the Kerry years should that come to pass.
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I think Stern will be fine. As long as he keeps his show "decent". The problem is, I have yet to see a definition of "decency" beyond the famous "I'll know it when I see it" definition. The bottom line is.. well... the bottom line. Stern will find another station to carry him in larger markets as long as he will make money for them. Apparently, many of his stations still believe that he's a pretty good investment.
Rush and other political folks are in another vote. Were the FCC to come down on them and accuse them of indecency it would be a whole different ballgame. The courts are generally protective of political speech, no matter how "indecent" it may be. I don't think any FCC commissioner would be ballsy enough to take on a political commentator in that fashion. I don't think this is a slippery slope at all in that respect.
Where it is dangerous is with entertainment type speech. Today, Howard Stern may be found to be too indecent for our public airwaves. Tommorow, it may be FOX or the WB network for some of their dating shows. Heck, we get one of those mennonites (or say, John Ashcroft) as the chair of the FCC, he or she might just start saying that television portrayals of women in anything but ankle-low skirts/dresses is indecent.
Here's a good example why I really don't like these executive branch groups like the FCC, EPA or ATF. They often write their own rules, they choose when and where to enforce them, then they get to be the judge, jury and executioner. Personally, I think such organizations go against the balance of power between the branches of our government.