Should CBS be fined by the FCC?

[ButterflyBlood]

as said on another board, I'm torn. On the one hand, it'd be great to snub them after they refused to air the MoveOn ad. On the other hand, this could lead to all sorts of more censorship if they do get fined. Tough one.

[MercutioATC]

1. Not censorship...just not showing nipples.

Agreed, I'm in it to smack them for their refusal to air the ad, but a nipple is a nipple and a nipple is what we saw.

Make 'em pay, I say.

[teevee99]

3. nope

quit being so puritanical. it was a pastie anyway.

[MercutioATC]

8. You obviously didn't see the hi-res clips. It was a nipple shield.

...and it showed more nipple than shield.

I'm not being puritanical. I'm very comfortable with European TV. However, until the rules are changed, they should be adhered to. This crossed the line.

[maxsolomon]

2. show me the harm.

no harm, no foul.

and children don't count - they see breasts up close while eating as infants (hopefully). if it freaks them out when they're 10, they're HYPOCRITES.

that was a joke.

[arewethereyet]

25. there IS harm, foul

what is the price tag for cheapening America ?

not high enough I fear.

[benddem]

4. It astounds me

that after they showed all those commercials which were of questionable taste...the public (FCC chair Powell) should be so exorcised about a boob.:evilfrown:

[LittleApple81]

5. Yes, but not for the boob. For not following the Fair doctrine with the

moveon.org ad.

[adriennel]

6. hahaha

paybacks are a bitch, huh CBS?
CBS got what they deserved (total humiliation should suffice instead of a fine, imo.) CBS was so concerned with "morality" and "truth" they wouldn't show "the Reagans" or the MoveOn.org ad...and still they get slammed for inappropriate content!
serious, a boob on tv is so minor...for a second, I thought I was in Europe watching TV.
and don't let CBS blame MTV for the content of the half-time show...they are both part of the same company.

[LTR]

15. And remember...

CBS likely utilized a seven-second delay, as they do on live programming. They could have censored it.

I guess we all know where the buck stops.

[Meritaten1]

7. If CBS can censor

"controversial" speech from MoveOn.org and PETA, CBS can't whine about getting fined for the half-time material, which probably offended some people.

I have no sympathy whatsoever with CBS-- they made millions in advertising revenue from the Superbowl while effectively censoring the free speech of causes they deemed too "controversial." It's just a pity IMHO they might be fined for offending popular mores instead of for restricting the commercial "marketplace of ideas".

[YNGW]

9. Slap on the wrist.

I expect something. Just don't be surprised if MTV isn't fined in the same manner as CBS.

The "moveon ad" was considered a business decision, so this is a different issue. I doubt they had a choice but to show the half-time show since MTV probably paid big bucks for them to air it. The question comes into the agreement between CBS and MTV, and it may come down to the agreements between MTV and the performers. You might see performers fined for breach of contract or similar type of infringements, depending on how these things were spelled out and what was expected of them.

Could get interesting.

[blondeatlast]

11. Aren't they part of the same conglomerate? Not sure what owns

what, but I thought there was a connection.

[TahitiNut]

19. Both CBS and MTV are owned by Viacom.

[blondeatlast]

10. It certainly wasn't deliberate on their part, though I'm hardly a fan

after the refusal of the MoveOn ad. No, they shouldn't. However, if there's another way to blaxt them out of existence, I might be in...

[MercutioATC]

12. I agree, but they aired it. By regulation, they're responsible.

I think this was an MTV thing (yes, I believe it was planned exactly as it happened). However, they aired it and they're responsible for the consequences.

[blondeatlast]

14. I didn't actually see it live, but I kinda guessed it was intentional.

Replays bear (or bare :evilgrin:) that out.

[MercutioATC]

16. Neither did I, but I saw the replays...

He reached all the way across her body, grabbed her outfit, and pulled. I call that intentional.

If it wasn't, why didn't one of them just say what actually happened ("he pulled the wrong thing", "I pulled too hard") etc.?

[Hippo_Tron]

13. Absolutely not...

I'm extremely anti government censorship with the exception of some VERY BASIC standards of decency being that you can't show full fledged pornography on network TV during the day or during prime time. If Janet and Justin had started having sex on the stage that would've been one thing, just a covered up nipple is not something that the FCC should be concerned about in my opinion.

[MercutioATC]

18. Check again...it wasn't that "covered up"..

It was a nipple shot and it deserves to be treated as any other nipple shot.

[mandyky]

17. MTV should be fined

since they produced it.

[TahitiNut]

20. Perhaps they should merely total up all the fines ...

... for 'indecent exposure' in every locality throughout the US where it was aired and assess those fines in aggregate? (Stupid blue laws.)

[KamaAina]

21. Yes -- but for censoring the MoveOn ad, not for Tittygate

Cowards. Bastards. Slime.

[arewethereyet]

22. CBS should be fined, every station airing it and Timberlake too

He should be under arrest for sexual assault and disturbing the peace. We'll let LaToya Jackson slide as she didn't expose herself.

This was inexcusable.

[MrSlayer]

23. No, don't be silly.

No reason to fine anyone. I fail to see what the big deal is.

[DinahMoeHum]

24. There's a profound sense of karmic justice here. . .

considering the censorship CBS practiced in refusing MoveOn's ad.

:evilgrin::evilgrin::evilgrin:

[Piperay]

26. Yes...

for being lying hypocrites and cowards, I say fine them big-time! :argh: