CBS pleads censorship over 9/11 show

[cal04]

Broadcasters say the hesitancy of some CBS affiliates to air a powerful Sept. 11 documentary next week proves there's been a chilling effect on the First Amendment since federal regulators boosted penalties for television obscenities after Janet Jackson's breast was exposed at a Super Bowl halftime show.

"This is example No. 1," said Martin Franks, executive vice president of CBS Corp., of the decision by two dozen CBS affiliates to replace or delay "9/11" — which has already aired twice without controversy — over concerns about some of the language used by the firefighters in it.

"We don't think it's appropriate to sanitize the reality of the hell of Sept. 11th," Franks said. "It shows the incredible stress that these heroes were under. To sanitize it in some way robs it of the horror they faced."

Actor Robert De Niro hosts the award-winning documentary, which began as a quest to follow a rookie firefighter on an ordinary day but resulted in the only known video of the first plane striking the World Trade Center and horrific and inspiring scenes of rescue, escape and death. CBS will show it on Sept. 10 from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. EDT, profanity intact.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060903/ap_on_re_us/cbs9_11_film_4

[truthisfreedom]

1. chickensh*t pansy-ass lockstep knuckle-under good little bushie-youth

troops keeping America safe from the truth.

[indepat]

25. How eloquent

[BenDavid]

2. Well, maybe the agency

that penalized CBS for the bare nipple should seek money from bushit for him using the word, "shit" that came out over the airwaves....

[stepnw1f]

3. This isn't the Same Mocumentary Being Aired on ABC is It? (nt)

[uppityperson]

7. ABC's is NOT a documentary, but fiction "based on commision report"

Saying it is the Clenis's fault.

[stepnw1f]

8. Shit... You Are Right

By saying documentary, I am unwittingly giving that piece of crap credibility. Thank you for the correction.

[uppityperson]

9. welcome, I was bummed to find this out also

had hopes that they would do a decent job.

[w4rma]

16. I guess the ABC thing is "for entertainment only", now that they are no

longer calling it a "documentary". Sort of like how Rush constantly defends his show as "for entertainment only".

[ConcernedCanuk]

26. LOL - had a brain fart - I hadda scroll back and check . .

.
.
.

MY Brain registered

"Sort of like how BUSH constantly defends his show as "for entertainment only".

[mp3hound]

20. I believe that this one is the Naudet brothers' film.

The censorship thing is ridiculous, in my opinion. It's live footage and live reaction to a very real event. What do the networks *expect* people to have said, "gee, golly, darn"?

[saracat]

4. But ABC has NO problem airing one tyhat balmes Clinton!

[Democrats_win]

5. "All we have to fear is fear itself." Fear the FCC, loose the 1st amend.

[bluestateguy]

6. I'm still waiting for CBS to air "The Reagans"

and I can wait a long time.

[krispos42]

10. They don't sensor "Saving Private Ryan"

So what's wrong with this? SPR was a fictionalized but pretty realistic portrayal of a MAJOR historical turning point in both US and world history.

The 9/11 footage is REAL and about an event that is also a historical turning point in both US and world history. I have abolutely NO problem with displaying this footage uncensored. Play the curses, play the screams, play the crushed bodies, play the fireballs, play the jumpers.

It wasnt' censored on live TV five years ago, it shouldn't be censored now.

See CNN, CBS, ABC, Fox, and BBC on goatpussy's YouTube site. All live from when it happened.

http://youtube.com/profile?user=goatpussy

[JanusAscending]

13. You may have forgotten this, but.......

The local networks DID censor "Saving Private Ryan" Fortunately I had seen it on one of the Cable networks in it's entirety,and uncensored.

[krispos42]

15. I might have been thinking of TNT

<sigh> My brain may be rotting. Too much Diet Pepsi and Doritos, perhaps. I've seen it so many times (most recently last night on premium cable) that I can't keep track. But I could have sworn it was on ABC (uncensored) a couple-3 years ago during Memorial Day weekend.

Anybody confirm this, or is it time for me to check into a nursing home?

[MaineDem]

14. A network refused to air "Private Ryan"

I think it was ABC.

How pathetic this all is. People are so afraid of reality.

[krispos42]

17. Was it the affiliate, or the whole network?

I know the affiliates can opt out of some things if the owners suffer from severe spinal deficiency. I've always lived north of the Mason-Dixon line and I remember it always seemed to be in the Deep South when these issues came up.

[MaineDem]

22. I was wrong, it was individual affiliates

I found this link in the archives.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=977943

[SeattleGirl]

11. To me, the real obscenity is when the Bush Cabal uses 9/11 to

keep Americans scared and under their control. Hearing a firefighter use four-letter words while the world was going to hell in a handbasket around his ears is not obscene; it is the honest reaction to what happened that day by people who were there at the time.

[krispos42]

18. Exactly, it's not a plot device! n/t

[biscotti]

12. Yesterday on C-Span on the National Press Club segment

the new head of PBS was talking about this. She said one of their affiliates in California ran a Frontline documentary on the history of The Blues. A couple of the musicians used slang off color terms in describing their music. She said that the station has been hit with a indecency law suit which they are fighting now.
Damn fraudulent religious groups are getting quite out of hand. Do as they say. Not even history is important to them. Stuck in the 50's image that was not reality. Hypocrites!

[AX10]

19. This is Fascism.

[bdamomma]

24. and it is all about control, and how this government is controlling

the masses, does anyone need any more evidence????

[RangerSmith]

28. yeah, quite bit more actually..

these are privately owned affiliates, not a government agency.

Did you even read the article?

Where do you come up with official Government censorship in this?

[RangerSmith]

27. do what?

These are privately owned affiliates choosing not to air something.

Like it or not, it's about as close to a free enterprise decision as one can get.

[QuettaKid]

21. FWIW there is ANOTHER video of Flight 11striking the north tower.

There was an artist who had a camera set up in Brooklyn, filming lower manhattanon a continuous loop. There was a thread on this in the dungeon recently.

[greccogirl]

29. Nah, that

was all made up in front of a blue screen..................

[fleabert]

23. What is really stupid about this is that people cuss in real life. I don't

know a single soul that doesn't cuss. Even my ultra-right-wing-conservative-bush-loving-christian 76 year old grandmother says shit sometimes. My 96 yo great grandmother (also hard-core-christian, but cannot stand bush) says damn.

What world are these people trying to pretend exisits? People curse- they are just words for fucks sake.

Anyone who tells me they are ultra sensitive to cursing just makes me want to say fuck over and over again. And anyone who says they never curse is lying.

[ribrepin]

30. I just pulled out my copy of this and watched

Yes, there is cussing at the height of the crisis. Somebody says "Oh Shit" when the 1st plane hits and the rookie whom the film is supposed to be about is watching T.V. while manning the fire station alone says "Somebody has big Fucking balls". Cuss words are used a few other times.

What gets me about this whole deal, is that there a number of reasons not to let your under Junior High age children to watch this--the noise of the bodies hitting the sidewalk, the immense destruction, the terror of running from a collapsing building. Any first grader that goes to public schools has heard these words used on the playground, but your 1st grader shouldn't watch this documentary. It is too graphic for the young and easily offended, but not because of the cuss words.

I think they are doing this because this is the film that fire fighters are discussing the fact that the collapse looked like a controlled demolition. That's the vulgarity they are trying protect us from. These guys were heroes. Grrrrrr!

[samsingh]

31. that's what happens when the media supports and lies for tyrants