Friday, March 19, 2004
So that's what it is
Properganda
CrowGirl at Magpie points to the rolling dismantlement of baldfaced press spinnage by the Bush Administration, on behalf of the new Medicare law and other matters. Seems some local stations got faked into running phony "news segments" praising the law. The real nonstory, of course, is that TV news has been abasing itself for a long time. Take a local half hour newscast. Subtract out the advertising, the pro forma sports and weather, the now-required promotion of network programs (as news!), and whaddaya got left? Five minutes of actual news, maybe. Substance-wise, it's an itty-bitty fragment of what you get from scanning a newspaper, presented in capsule form. Like a drug.
Silence in L.A.
J.J. Jackson died yesterday. Chuck Niles died on Monday. J.J. was best known as one of the original MTV VJs, but he's been around forever, it seems, most recently on KTWV, "The Wave." Chuck was simply one of the best jazz jocks ever, and worked at KKJZ up to just a few weeks ago.
A lot of history died with both those guys.
ThinkPad vs. PowerBook, Round 1
Driving to Laptopia is my latest SuitWatch at Linux Journal. Comments welcome (at the bottom of the piece, not here).
Freedom of repression
Leads the lead item on the FCC Web site this morning,
Washington, D.C.: The Federal Communications Commission today issued an Order concluding that the live broadcast of the phrase "f***ing brilliant," spoken by Bono of U2 during the 2003 Golden Globe Awards, violated the statutory prohibitions on indecency and profanity.
Leads the third item on the same site,
Washington, D.C. — The Federal Communications Commission today issued a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture against Infinity Broadcasting Operations, Inc. for apparently willfully broadcasting indecent material in connection with “The Howard Stern Show” on WKRK-FM, Detroit, Michigan. The Commission proposed the statutory maximum forfeiture of $27,500 for the broadcast.
The Commission based this action on the results of its investigation triggered by a complaint concerning material in which the show’s cast discussed sexual practices and techniques.
Specifically, the Commission found that the broadcast included explicit and graphic sexual and excretory references. In addition, the Commission found that this material was lewd and vulgar, and that it appeared to have been used to pander, titillate and shock. Thus, the Commission concluded that the material apparently met the indecency standard and warranted sanction.
The Commission proposed a forfeiture for the maximum statutory amount due to Infinity’s recent history of the airing of indecent broadcasts.
Here's the full filing. It's a load. Literally.
The lead amendment to the U.S. Constitution reads,
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
This morning from 6-10am, the people will peaceably assemble in front of the Federal Building in Los Angeles to protest the fucking insanity that's going on here.
Free speech is free speech, folks. If you don't like it, don't listen. Or don't read.
Bonus links: Ernest Miller writes FCC Revives Notion of the Profane. Big Rick points to a BitTorrent source for the Stern show. Also The Daily Jeff. More dialog in the Discussions section too.