November 11, 2004
ABC's scheduled movie for tonight, Saving Private Ryan, the award-winning World War II epic, is being pre-empted on a number of ABC stations over fears regarding the salty language in the movie.
In a statement on the Web site of Atlanta's WSB-TV, the station's vice president and general manager, Greg Stone cited a March ruling in which the FCC said an expletive uttered by rock star Bono during NBC's live airing of the 2003 Golden Globe Awards was both indecent and profane.In addition to Cox's WSB-TV Atlanta, stations chickening out on showing the movie include Cox's WSOC-TV Charlotte, Citadel's WOI-TV Des Moines, KCAU-TV Sioux City and KLKN-TV Lincoln, NE; Tribune's WGNO-TV New Orleans, Hearst-Argyle's WMUR-TV Manchester, NH; Pappas' KHGI Lincoln, Sinclair Broadcasting's ABC stations (which just got over their own controversy with the airing of the John Kerry documentary last month) and Scripps-Howard's stations.The agency made it clear then that virtually any use of the F-word — which is used in "Saving Private Ryan" — was inappropriate for over-the-air radio and television.
The Bono case "reversed years of prior policy that the context of language matters," Stone said. He added that broadcaster could not get any clarification from the FCC on whether the movie violates the standard.
ABC, which broadcast the film uncut in 2001 and 2002, issued a statement saying it is proud to broadcast it again. The network's contract with director Steven Spielberg stipulates that the film cannot be edited.
"As in the past, this broadcast will contain appropriate and clear advisories and parental guidelines," the statement said.
If you are as dismayed by this, and your local station is pre-empting the movie, I'd suggest you contact them and let them know that you don't appreciate them playing "thought police" for you.
Posted by: mhking at
04:32 AM
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