Help Help I'm Being Repressed!

disclaimer: I work in radio. I don't listen to Howard very often. Sometimes I watch his E! show. I loved his movie. Never read his books. I think he's a jackass.



Doc gets into the Stern fray with lots of links and good stuff. (He's pro Howard). I have commented on this before.



I continue to be amazed by the assumption that broadcast talent have "freedom of speech". I do? Wow I didn't know that. Is there a difference if get fired because I say something the government regulations won't let me say or my employer won't let me say? Bottom line I would be "on the beach" as we say. Example: "Jimmy The Greek" I don't think the government can actually fire me from my job. Well I guess I could get arrested.



Howard can be funny. His claim that the White House is out to get him because of his powerful pop culture influence is a good one. Stations have been dumping his show on their own for the past 4 or 5 years. Part of that is the marketplace making a decision on content. His show has been taken off the air by local stations because they didn't think it was right for their airwaves or they couldn't sell ads or he cost too much or whatever...I guess that is part of the community standards. He also had his Saturday night tv show cancelled. But his claims of direct White House involvement reminds me of the Monty Python line "Help Help I'm Being Repressed!" .wav.



In an earlier post I mentioned Howard has always played the "why me" game. Like Lenny Bruce it has become part of the act. He put out a collection called Crucified by the FCC click on the link and you can hear some bits.



But this Oliver Stone conspiracy makes good radio play for Howard, after all his real act is a little thin on content. However to people on the air it is "welcome back to our world Howard", one of FCC regulated broadcasting. I garr-an-tee in Howard's contract there is a nothing that says "you can say whatever you want" and there is a line about violation of FCC rules can lead to termination.



After all it is not like it this is all a suprise to him. Here is a good long post with links on more. I slurped a chunk of it here:



PhotoDude's Weblog: Dead Man Talking, And Talking, And Talking



Howard has cost his employers millions of dollars in FCC fines, over the course of the past 12 years:



1992: "Radio's Howard Stern racked up $1.7 million in fines in 1992 from the Federal Communications Commission for talking dirty. The comment that led to the FCC's fine was a syrupy comedy routine involving fantasies about pancake maven Aunt Jemima."



1995: "The FCC ... decided to fine WBZU in Richmond, formally, WVGO, for something deemed offensive from a broadcast of Howard's show."



1997: "He has had a running battle with the Federal Communications Commission over free speech issues. He is currently fighting FCC fines totaling over $1.5 million."



1997: "Well, this week the Stern hit the fan with a $6000 fine when Howard's flagship station, WXRK FM, 92.3 K-Rock, was hit with a Notice of Apparent Liability (a fine) for having aired segments of the Stern show that were found to be indecent enough by the FCC to fine WBUZ in Richmond and WEZB in New Orleans both $10,000 late last year."



1999: "He had a man play the piano with his penis, which resulted in the first of Stern's many FCC fines for indecency. He also asked porno star Jenna Jamison's father to identify his daughter's vagina from a lineup of five vagina photos, which Jamison's father did. The staff applauded, and a Stern affiliate was fined. While breaking social mores, Stern has cost his parent company, Infinity Broadcasting (a division of CBS), more than $1 million in FCC fines. Technically Infinity's payouts are 'donations' to the U.S. Treasury, something to ensure it can purchase more radio stations. For Infinity Broadcasting, the fines are a small cost of doing business. Stern is its cash cow."



Re-read those last two lines. Infinity feels Howard's controversial acts and FCC fines ... millions of dollars ... are a cost of doing business, with their "cash cow." They profit from it.