Howard Stern at Salon.com (www.salon.com) article on FCC Fines:

[roguevalley]

Howard Stern and Bono (in a composite photo).


Watch your mouth
In its Thursday ruling against Bono and Howard Stern, the FCC announced that a new day of language policing has dawned.

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As for Stern, the commission's decision to fine him for indecency will likely fuel speculation that the famous shock jock is being used by the FCC to make a larger point about indecency. Stern and his supporters can point to three facts in support of that case. First, the content of Stern's show has not changed substantially over the last decade, during which time the commission never fined him. Yet suddenly, amid the controversy sparked by this year's Super Bowl halftime show, he's deemed to be indecent. Second, the fine the FCC levied yesterday was for a broadcast that aired nearly three years ago. If it was indecent in 2001, 2002 and 2003, then why did the FCC wait until 2004 to rule? And third, the raunchy material from Stern's 2001 program that the FCC found to be out of bounds is almost mild compared to the other violations the FCC has been documenting.

Stern became the center of the firestorm last month when Clear Channel Communications, radio's largest owner, kicked him off six of its stations and publicly labeled the syndicated morning show "vulgar, offensive, and insulting." The ban was part of Clear Channel's announced zero tolerance policy toward indecency, and came just one day before the head of Clear Channel radio was to testify before Congress on the issue of indecency.

In the wake of Clear Channel's move, Stern has claimed that the broadcast giant, which has close ties to the Bush family and the Republican Party, kicked him off the air because he had been telling his 8 million weekly listeners to vote President Bush out of office. Clear Channel denies Stern's politics had anything to do with its decision to pull his show.

Since Clear Channel's move, Stern has been on an anti-Bush drive-time crusade, criticizing the president at every turn, and claiming the administration bowed to pressure from the political right and ordered the FCC to go after him. "George W. Bush is going to be out of office in November thanks to me," Stern told his listeners Friday morning, describing Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney as "two drunks who found Jesus." He also contemplated holding a fundraiser for Bush's November opponent, Sen. John Kerry. "I'm sure I'm going to campaign for the guy," he said.

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I thought I would NEVER say this about THAT guy. GO, HOWARD!!!!!!!!

[displacedtexan]

1. Imus said he will campaign for Kerry, too!

It's a world gone mad.

[tridim]

2. Seems like everone is supporting Kerry these days

I can only think of a few people besides professional repuke pundits who have publicly supported Bush. It's gonna be a landslide unless Diebold kicks in.

[Ksec]

3. Thats great news

Stern has a huge audience who worship him and this could be the break we needed to push us over the top. woohoo!

[Zinfandel]

4. Unless the FCC and Clear Channel (who are coming up with ideas)

right now to silence Stern and make him insignificant before the election.