johnnymk

(CNSNews.com) - Howard Stern, America's most famous "shock jock," has been permanently dropped from the six radio stations operated by Clear Channel Communications.

The action follows a proposal Thursday by federal regulators to fine Clear Channel $495,000 for indecency, related to Stern's morning talk show which often involves explicit discussion about sex.

Clear Channel had suspended Stern's program back in February but made the permanent move after the Federal Communications Commission proposed slapping the company with 18 alleged violations - all related to Stern's April 9, 2003, show. The six radio stations affected are in Ft. Lauderdale and Cocoa Beach, Fla., Louisville, Ky., Honeoye Falls, N.Y., San Diego and Pittsburgh.

"Mr. Stern's show has created a great liability for us and other broadcasters who air it," John Hogan, president of Clear Channel Radio, said. "The Congress and the FCC are even beginning to look at revoking station licenses. That's a risk we're just not willing to take."

Stern, commenting about Clear Channel's decision, said it marked the continuation of the Bush administration's "witch hunt" against him. "It is pretty shocking that governmental interference into our rights and free speech takes place in the U.S.," Stern stated on his website. "It's hard to reconcile this with the 'land of the free' and the 'home of the brave.'"

Stern's show is also causing problems for Infinity Broadcasting. Last month, the FCC proposed fining Infinity $27,500 for a show broadcast on a Detroit radio station July 26, 2001, in which Stern talked about sexual practices and techniques.

Infinity paid $1.7 million in 1995 to settle various broadcast violations by Stern.

The famous jock claims he's being punished for his criticism of President Bush. "You've got to vote Bush out to send a message as a Howard Stern fan," Stern said on the air recently. "There's a cultural war going on. The religious right is winning. We're losing."

But the Parents Television Council praised the FCC's ruling. "Stern is a repeat offender of the most commonsense decency standards and we welcome the news that the FCC is moving to combat these patently indecent shows," said L. Brent Bozell III, the group's president. Bozell is also president of CNSNews.com

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Cantacuzene

Another defeat for civil liberties. What will the far right moralists do to us next?

Airencracken

Sigh, the 1st amendment is almost dead. I'm so sick of hearing about "decency" and all this other crap.

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bachviet

How does civil liberties defeat if he got fired/banned after his company was fined because he broke the rules.

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Dave_7

Exactly. Is he going to jail? No.

The standard has always been that R rated/Adult type programming was not banned... but just slotted between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. on broadcast stations (or onto a paid service with no restrictions). He's been getting away with (relative)murder for years, and when you break the rules, you pay. It's not like he didn't understand standards.

I like Howard. But part of me doubts he'll goto pay/satelite radio. Part of his schtick was always that it was "taboo" and that the FCC had him as a most-wanted... ooooooooooh Big deal. Is his E! show so shocking? No... because it's on at 11 p.m. on cable.

Never ever underestimate the power of broadcast programming.




Dave.

raimin

does anyone listen to howard anymore?

kimchicowboy

i used to listen to him in junior high and beginning of high school. back in my adolescent years when it was cool to hear the sexually-explicit stuff. i would prefer npr or just music now.

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cheapie

i think it's a stupid thing for the fcc and clear channel to get bent over this specific show. however, i think that it's just the fact that conservatives have been getting frustrated with no apperant reaction from the fcc and they used the janet jackson thing as a change agent. showing nudity during prime time, and then the fcc approving the f-bomb really got people's dander up. i think if the fcc had listened to both spectrums all along it wouldn't have gotten this far.

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Cantacuzene

I think they went looking for a scapegoat. And they went after the biggest one on the block. If they can silence him, they set the example for everyone else. If you think it was purely a Clear Channel decision with no pressure from the FCC, you're crazy. Michael Powell and his cronies are pulling the yoke all the way.

ufcrusher

What you have to remember is that pushing the envelope and people's buttons is what Howard is known for. He is an extremely shrewed businessman and isnt afraid to speak his mind. The FCC has suddenly switched the way it was policing the airways and as such, Howard's voiced opinion that the Bush Administration has something to do with it, might not be that far fetched.

I personally think that there was nothing wrong with the Stern show and that Americans are way too thinly skinned. I would rather watching two people galavanting around naked and having sex then some of the other crap that is on the airways. This country's puritanical roots need to be purged and welcome to the way the rest of the world sees things.

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Cantacuzene

Ofcourse the Bush administration is behind this. FCC head = Michael Powell. AKA Colin Powell's son.

bachviet

Not because he broke the rules and his company was fined big time??? If you work for a company and do that, what else do you expect?

Cantacuzene

Its about WHY they fined him and WHEN. He didn't do anything that day that was worse than anything he has been doing the past 30 years. But suddenly they choose to crack down. Its selective law enforcement motivated by a political means and driven by puritanical morals. Thats corruption to me.

bachviet

So he's a repeated offender so his company fed up and stopped his show for good. He just didn't get away with it this time around.

Dave_7

Similar to being pissed because a highway patrol officer decided to pick you out of the bunch of people speeding?

You can only play with fire for so long before you get burned.




Dave.

Cantacuzene

No. Its more like, speeding laws havent been enforced in the past 30 years, then because a politicians wants to score points with his anti-speeding base in an election year decides to suddenly enforce it-- by giving massive tickets to race car drivers.

My analogy is better than yours.

nickel

and i'm sure you make the best milkshake, too

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Dave_7

Well... whichever you like better... each one makes my point.

A law is a law. I love the ever-popular left attitude of, "Well, there's a law, but it's a stupid law, and I'm not hurting anyone... so I'm the victim when I break that law and they bust me on it... because they aren't getting every other person who breaks it." You know who else they're not getting... the ones who follow the rules in the first place.

Why do you think Loveline is on the air at 10 p.m. (or later in some markets)? Because it's reasonable to assume that kids are either asleep or at home where their parents can dictate what they watch and listen to.

If Stern's show was on at midnight, he could proabably be a whole time-and-a-half more raunchy and few would bat an eye. But he ain't on at night. He's on from 6-10 a.m. (or later).

It's not like his show is the raciest thing to ever come out of a speaker. CD's, Videos, Cable stations... all provide media outlets for any and all brands of content you can imagine... all freely sold to (and taxed upon) the public who is willing to pay for it.

The "Far Right Moralists" as you call them, and most others, are looking for reasonable limits on content broadcast over the public airwaves.

Right back at ya... how far are the Left Wing Radicals willing to let things go before saying that's too much?




Dave.

verve247

Remember, Howard is being fined for something he did over a year ago. Old dirt is being brought up to bring him down.

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cheapie

how does your analogy even make sense? speeding tickets to race car drivers? wtf? race car drivers don't drive anywhere that is publicly regulated.

molecularfire

Hehehehe. If they did drive their race cars on public streets, they should be in the very least ticketed.

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bachviet

He probably talked about street racers not professional race car drivers but who knows.

Cantacuzene

Either way, arguing over analogies just confuses the point that whats going on here is ridiculous censorship being done for political gain. Its despicable.

Airencracken

Just the fact that they're choosing to regulate broadcast media this much is asinine! Has anyone read the first amendment? FREEDOM OF SPEECH. There isn't an except line. If you don't like what's on, there are (in the words of george carlin) TWO dials on the radio, one changes the channel, the other turns it off. I'm disgusted with this suppression of free speech, but I'm even more sick of people defending the government destroying our rights.

Showtime

My take on Howard Stern is that he's not shrewd or super smart or anything really. It's pathetic that so many people look up to him. He spends more time talking about how controversial he is than doing an actual show... Well, that is his show.

He's just a kid who never grew up. He got away with running his mouth and saying the worst thing that jumped in his mind at the worst moment. His family put up with it, his teachers, his wife, his "friends" encouraged it and his fans ate it up. He's smart enuff to know his success depends on controversy. He knows if he behaves worse than the average guy, a lot of people will live vicariously thru him. He doesn't have a choice. He acts like that off the air. So I don't hate him. I just feel sorry for the fanboys that pay his rent.

-jel

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xsiled2

he wasnt funny and his show wasnt worth crap, stop arguing over nothing.

Cantacuzene

The critical reviews of a piece of media does not determine whether or not it should or shouldnt be censored. Poorly written literature has just as much a right to be free from censorship as the classics.

Dave_7

Should Penthouse Forum letters be read over the airwaves at 8:30 a.m. on weekdays?

If not, why not?



Dave.

Cantacuzene

The government controls the airwaves and they have the right to regulate it as they see fit. That said, they have to follow their own rules and not act arbitrarily, which is the case here.

cheapchinese

if i recall the Court has only ruled Certain words (8)as INDECENT..
how is Howard Sterns show indecent, it just that the bar all of a sudden dropped after the Jackson incident.
Government needs to be stable on their interpretation of the LAWS. Big Government are not the way to go. Esp this is just wrong that the FCC making new rule as times go.
Freedom of Speech are shortening, I really do believe its the peoples responsibility if they don't like a certain thing; its their RIGHT to change a different Station.