FCC Fines an Individual $500K ..while limiting medical lawsuits to $250K ?

[cthrumatrix]

How crazy has our world become.

The FCC will have the ability to fine a DJ up to $500,000 per "incident" like using profanity.

Meanwhile, Congress is pushing medical malpractice maximum's of $250,000.

So it's more important that people's ear's are protected...rather than it being "cut-off" accidentally.


Bushco at work...helping the insurance companies and making sure free speech is stifled.

[lectrobyte]

1. Am I the only person who thinks all this radio and TV censorship

is just part of a ploy to get more money out of people in the form of HBO subscriptions, satellite radio etc. etc. I think the morality story is just a "bonus", if they didn't smell money somehow, I don't think Bush Inc. would bother...

[cap]

2. congress is capping medical malpractice to protect

drug companies that are being less and less regulated by NIH. Drug testing is only 20% of the NIH budget ... a lot of the budget is going for new drug approval.

[indepat]

3. One must keep things in perspective

[KharmaTrain]

4. Apples & Oranges

Most FCC fines are levied on the radio station and corporate owner, not the "disc jockey". Most of these fines take years, if ever, to collect, and almost always are renegotiated downward or just let drop.

Also, a Cheap Channel makes $500k in a few hours in commercials over their mega-empire. This is chump change when the average price of their radio license is over $10,000,000 per station. The $10,000 fines were more a joke.

Medical malpractice is a scam by the insurance industries to guarantee their profits over having to pay out settlements and cut corners with their beneficiaries. They want a "certain world"...where they have the upper hand on lawyers. This has nothing to do with free speech, just who gets to make the biggest profits.

[cthrumatrix]

6. not true...these fines will now be against INDIVIDUALS

[KharmaTrain]

7. Been There...Seen That

If you think Howard Stern paid his fine...think again. He has an indemnity policy that covers such things...plus, he can easily afford the fine. Yes, he was targeted and his fine is a joke, but that's not the issue here. Also, the fines were levied against the stations, not Stern individually. Stern wasn't fined, "The Howard Stern" show was. Infinity Broadcasting and the individual stations are held accountable...Stern's personal liabilty is minimal.

I have 30 years of involvement in broadcasting...including many FCC inspections and fines. It looks great when it hits the news...then once it fades away, so does the fine.

The FCC can cite an individual, but a good lawyer will show how this violation occured while under the employ of the company and thus they share liability. Plus with satellite & internet radio that are outside of most FCC regulations, their power in the future will be even more diminished.

With Michael Powell gone, it will be interesting what turn the FCC takes.

[NJGeek]

8. Dude the new law will FINE INDIVIDUALS

I think you are missing the point, the NEW LEGISLATION will fine individuals, not stations. Regardless of what happened in the past, new fines -> individuals.

[KharmaTrain]

9. Believe As You Will...

Again, the thread here was comparing FCC fines to Malpractice insurance. The two are totally unrelated.

If you'd like to discuss the FCC fines and how they actually work, check into back issues of Radio & Records and Broadcasting & Cable...you'll see what a joke this whole process is. It hasn't changed, just re-written to sound better to the right wing base.

Again, this "new rule", just like others Powell has tried to ram through, are usually cut down in the courts or in Congress.

I don't think Howard Stern is about to sell his possesions to feed his family...compared to someone who becomes disabled due to corporate negligence.

Again, that's the comparison the original post made. Have a nice life.

[NashVegas]

5. That's a Scream

The average radio DJ in a midsize market makes maybe $20k. Mornings, maybe $50k or higher *if they have good ratings.*