Fearful US TV networks censor more shows

[emad]

Guardian

Dominic Timms
Tuesday January 18, 2005

The panic that is gripping American TV bosses facing a puritanical backlash or exorbitant government fines has today extended to a cartoon series and a BBC drama.
Fox TV has decided to pixelate a bare derriere in a cartoon series, The Family Guy, which was originally broadcast five years ago with no complaints.

And American public television network PBS is censoring BBC drama documentary Dirty War, wary of attracting a public backlash and fines from the federal watchdog.

PBS, the American public television network, said it would cut scenes featuring a naked woman being decontaminated in a shower, in the film that centres on the aftermath of a dirty bomb attack on London.

Fox TV has already been hit by fines from the Federal Communications Commission with its network of affiliate stations each fined $7,000 in October for airing Married by America, a reality series in which a female contestant was seen licking cream from a male stripper's chest.

http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,14173,1393014,00.html

[Dufaeth]

1. Jesus!

...

[Tighthead Prop]

2. Oddly enough

I was watching the episode which this happened in. Right away I knew why it was done. The UK is looking better and better to me:-) Next thing you know they will be censoring football games because it incites violence or the scatily clad cheerleaders. Every time I see something indecent on TV I almost applaud because I see it as a big "fuck you" to all of those so-called "morally superior" assholes.

[madinmaryland]

3. Well, they won't censor anything that involves violence.

But god forbid there is any hint of skin.

Bunch of loony hypocrits.

[wug37]

4. Now they have to censor cartoon asses?

WTF!!! It's a cartoon!

[emad]

5. Bad luck for South Park?

[tridim]

7. It's on cable.. No FCC.

See my other post on the issue.

[tridim]

6. The obvious answer is the Family Guy's and The Simpsons' type shows

need to say fuck off to broadcast TV and move to cable. The FCC is very powerful and they're not backing down. I say bypass them completely, let broadcast TV go to 24/7 Jesusland programming and see how the public likes it. Howard Stern would be a great spokesman for the campaign.

[lectrobyte]

8. Wow, it seems like only 10 years ago NYPD Blue was showing

real butts on TV. How times change.

[zbdent]

9. Yes, but it was Dennis Franz's ass

That's about as appealing as seeing mine.

[lectrobyte]

11. Not just his, Sharon Lawrence's, etc. and not to mention the various

Kim Delaney et al boobage. It is surprising to see all this controversy now, wtf happened to this country?

[zbdent]

10. I get a kick out of Fox crying over these

in reality, Fox is probably the least likely to be hit by a real, painful fine.