Drudge: FCC considered 'license revocation' hearing for CBS

[NewJerseyDem]

http://www.drudgereport.com/mattjj4.htm

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell considered holding a dramatic license revocation hearing against CBS after last week's Super Bowl breast mess, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.

A furious Powell vocalized the "license revocation" option against CBS-owned broadcast outlets to senior staff at the FCC in the hours and days after the event, a top source said from Washington.

The chairman has since moved away from exploring the possibilities of pulling CBS's license, but word of any such consideration shows just how serious Powell and others at the FCC viewed the breast breach.

Several FCC commissioner believe CBSVIACOM has repeatedly violated indecency rules.

[SoCalDem]

1. They hinted at that when CBS was planning to run the Reagan movie

They are holding the sword over the neck of CBS, and probablty the other networks too..

Toe the line,, or we will get ya :(

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. Hence why CBS will do ANYTHING

the Repubs ask them to do... or rather demand they do

By the way, the breast incident is not as serious as the country being led to war on false data... but you will see CBS cow down to the WH now... the licence is way too valuable

[asjr]

5. Is the FCC head appointed

by the president? If so we will be able to get rid of Michael Powell when our Democrat takes the presidency. That little pipsqueak got that job because of his father.

[NewJerseyDem]

9. I believe 3, including chairman, are appointed by the President

And I think that the other 2 are appointed on the recommendation of the opposition parties congressional leaders.

[nibbana]

3. Boycott Drudge...

Don't support right wing hate..nuff said

[Gman]

4. CBS is nothing compared to what's on FOX

this was a one time thing.

[wabeewoman]

6. Proof that its not the message

but rather being off the 'official administration message.' I hope Michael Powell is at the top of the list to lose his job when the democratic party wins the WH.

[ConcernedCanuk]

7. All the war lies and misrepresentation, and one BREAST gets them upset

.
.

nothing but a bunch of childish, but very dangerous creatures in the WH I say

Trouble is:

alot of so-called "do-gooders" will jump all over this "breast" thing

Shit USA . . . .


- GROW UP !!

cant y'all get some adults in that WH

. . .pleeeeeeeeeze ???

[earthside]

8. What?

This is the same Michael Powell that railroaded FFC regulation changes so that CBS/Viacom could buy more television stations? What happened?

[pacifictiger]

11. CBS still does investigative peices

like 60 minutes. More clear evidence that the fundies are behind this much ado about nothing. If CBS goes, that will make more room for faux and 700club type "news", the in house propaganda boys.

[gmoney]

10. Michael Powell is such a tool...

I thought he said he was quitting the job. Daddy too... or are they waiting until after the sham elections?

[glarius]

12. Hey America....It's getting kind of scary down there!

Apparently Michael Powell has forgotten TV is called the "boob" tube...hahaha

[Jazzgirl]

13. Yeah...right...

n/t

[Zhade]

14. Nice priorities, you STUPID FUCK.

I have no other words to waste on that war criminal Powell's equally disgusting son.

[burrowowl]

15. And did you see

Feds win right to war protesters' records!
Back to the McCarthism of the 50's.
Quash dissent! @#$*@$^! F**ktards!

[kaitykaity]

16. Unbelievable. Using government to shut down media.

Who knew the BFEE would be this brazen about it?

(Invoking Arnold Horshack)
Oh, oh, oh, me, me, me!!!

[depakid]

24. Actually, this is a good thing

License revocation is a two way sword and although we may disagree with the direction it's now turned, once the sword's unsheathed (especially over something so petty) it can much more easily be used again for responsible purposes.

Consider this case and tell me whether you think license revocation would not be a just and appropriate sanction:

At 1:30 on a cold January night, a train containing hundreds of thousands of gallons of toxic ammonia derails in Minot, North Dakota. Town officials try to sound the emergency alert system, but it isn't working. Desperate to warn townspeople about the poisonous white cloud bearing down on them, the officials call their local radio stations. But no one answers any of the phones for an hour and a half. According to the New York Times, three hundred people are hospitalized, some are partially blinded, and pets and livestock are killed.

Where were Minot's DJs on January 18th, 2002? Where was the late night station crew? As it turns out, six of the seven local radio stations had recently been purchased by Clear Channel Communications, a radio giant with over 1,200 stations nationwide. Economies of scale dictated that most of the local staff be cut: Minot stations ran more or less on auto pilot, the programming largely dictated from further up the Clear Channel food chain. No one answered the phone because hardly anyone worked at the stations any more; the songs played in Minot were the same as those played on Clear Channel stations across the Midwest.

[reprobate]

17. Then how about a hearing for CNN.

For intentionally ruining a candidate's campaign (dean). All it took was karl rove picking up the phone and cnn answered with the attack on dean for the enthusiasm he showed to his campiagn workers. The portrayed it as insane, unbalanced, and unpresidential.

Seems to me that must be some kind of felony?

[mrdmk]

18. #One, I need a second source

#Two, the camera did not stay focus on the impiety from what I understand.

This makes the offense a fine with a warning. There have been many times watching sports on TV (mostly golf and football) when you hear sh*t or f*ck very clearly. In 1982 a TV station in Ventura, CA accidentally switched to the satellite receiver which was tuned to the Playboy channel. For one half hour the station transmitted full nudity over the airwaves. The Ventura station was fined and had to file a report stating how the transgression will not happen again. To publicly state, considering pulling a major network license over an incident that was not intentional is a bad joke.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

19. Sounds like Michael's gotten into Rush's stash.

[Taeger]

20. BACKFIRE????

This could potentially backfire. If they go for the jugular with CBS, CBS will be forced to fight back in court.

The result could be a ruling that says that breasts aren't lewd. The result could be boobies on broadcast TV just like in Europe. Now THATS an issue that REAL southerners could get behind ;-)

[KharmaTrain]

21. Lots Of Smoke, No Fire

First, the CBS Television Network that aired the Superbowl is an association of hundreds of stations nationally and internationally...each, in theory independently owned-licensed.

Thanks to the currently embattled FCC rules that Mr. Powell aims to eliminate, CBS, inc., the corporate owners of the network are only allowed to own 12 television stations. Yes, those 12 are in the top markets and represent a large sum of revenue to the company...also, the company is in LMA (or management arrangements...they do everything but own the license) with several other stations. Revoking CBS's TV licenses would hurt the network, but not put it out of business. It's taken hits like this in the past.

CBS and MTV Networks are outside of FCC rules and regulations. The only people who are directly responsible to the Commission are the various license holders of the transmitters that air CBS programs and cable operators that in many cases must carry CBS-TV as it is aired by a local over-the-air television signal. Amply confused yet?

Powell can fine each CBS station the maximum $27,500 for the "obscene" offense (which could and probably will be appealed in a court on First Ammendment grounds), or a blanket fine will be assessed. As I mentioned in a previous post...the maximum for all these stations (lets use 250 for the number of affiliates that were carrying the halftime show)...and the fine falls around $7 million. Now, considering 30 second commercials in that halftime show were fetching $3 mil...not to mention the uncounted millions local affiliates (who would be the ones fined, not the network) make in their commercials...then combine that with the PR value (and if you don't think MTV is struttin' with this controversy, you haven't been watching what your kids are)...and this is a lot of posturing and nothing else.

I expect Powell to form some kinda commission to look into "sex & violence" on TV (political cover), then 3 or 4 months down the road, come out with some pronouncment that CBS has been fined $500,000 or $1,000,000 or some "large" figure (large for the GOOP fundies)...that CBS will then pass on to its affiliates...and the story will fade until the next push of the envelope.

[koopie57]

22. I think that the media

is reaping what it has sown. Three years of petting and pampering this administration has gotten them to this. They allowed themselves to not only be manipulated and abused but bent over backwards to play up to the administration even more. They are a television station, news station. They, in all actuality, have the high card. Unfortunately they don't got the balls to play it.

[SideshowScott]

23. Meanwhile: NBC and FOX can do anything they please

We KNOW who the FCC will turn a blind eye to...Welcome the the Favor admin

[colonel odis]

25. wow. getting out of this is going to require a mega-contribution

and a lot of g.o.p. spots run free.

dan rather's job, too, while they're in butt-smooch mode.

[Kinkistyle]

26. Lets have Janet publicly beaten, and lets slap burkhas on women

and can someone finally get around to forming a "morality police" to roam the streets and beat the crap out of boys and girls who hold hands?

[Don_G]

27. Is There A Morality Clause

Where we can yank the FCC's license to practice "communication" along Fundie standards?

I wasn't impressed that two "rock" stars pulled this stunt but it didn't surprise me either.