Janet breast flash prompts fines

WASHINGTON – Pop singer Janet Jackson’s bare breast flash earlier this year during the nationally televised Super Bowl football game will cost 20 CBS television stations a record total of US$550 000 for violating indecency rules, US communications regulators said on Wednesday.

The Federal Communications Commission said it has officially voted to fine the CBS stations, owned by conglomerate Viacom Inc., US$27 500 each for airing the incident. “The US Constitution is generous in its protection of free expression, but it is not a license to thrill,” said FCC Chairman Michael Powell.”The context of the halftime show leads us to conclude that the breast-baring finale was intended.”Jackson’s fellow singer Justin Timberlake ripped her costume, briefly exposing her bejewelled breast during the halftime show at the National Football League’s championship game on Feb. 1, sparking about 542,000 complaints filed with the FCC.Viacom has 30 days to decide whether to pay the proposed fine or contest it.The agency decided against fining the other 200-plus CBS affiliates that aired the show but are not owned by the network, stating that they were not involved in the planning, selection or approval of the halftime festivities.”Every licensed station broadcasting over the public airwaves has a legal obligation to uphold community standards,” said Brent Bozell, head of the Parents Television Council which had complained about the Jackson incident.In addition to owning the CBS television network, Viacom also owns the MTV network, which was involved in producing the halftime show.The FCC said Jackson’s partial nudity was in apparent violation of the broadcast indecency standard, but decided against taking action against other parts of the broadcast as well as commercials despite other complaints.US regulations bar television and radio stations from airing obscene material, and they are limited to airing indecent material, such as explicit sex talk, to late hours when children are less likely to be watching or listening.CBS countered that it had no advance knowledge of the stunt and did not believe indecency rules had been violated.”We are extremely disappointed in the ruling,” the CBS network said in a statement.”We are reviewing all of our options to respond to the ruling.”It has been a rough week for CBS, which admitted earlier this week that its news division had been deliberately misled about the authenticity of documents it aired in a story challenging US President George W. Bush’s military service.The Jackson incident also prompted a crackdown by the FCC on the antics of television and radio stations to the point that many broadcasters are now instituting tape delays of live events to ensure they do not run afoul of the rules.The US$27,500 fine is the maximum currently allowed by law though Congress is contemplating legislation to hike that to as much as US$500,000 per incident.FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein dissented from the decision only to fine the CBS-owned stations, noting that the fine was paltry compared to the US$2,3 million on average the network took in for a 30-second commercial during the game.”Today’s enforcement action goes out of its way to focus narrowly on the exposure of Janet Jackson’s breast on twenty CBS-owned stations,” he said.Viacom shares closed down 54 cents, or 1.6 percent, to $33.10 on the New York Stock Exchange.- Nampa-Reuters”The US Constitution is generous in its protection of free expression, but it is not a license to thrill,” said FCC Chairman Michael Powell.”The context of the halftime show leads us to conclude that the breast-baring finale was intended.”Jackson’s fellow singer Justin Timberlake ripped her costume, briefly exposing her bejewelled breast during the halftime show at the National Football League’s championship game on Feb. 1, sparking about 542,000 complaints filed with the FCC.Viacom has 30 days to decide whether to pay the proposed fine or contest it.The agency decided against fining the other 200-plus CBS affiliates that aired the show but are not owned by the network, stating that they were not involved in the planning, selection or approval of the halftime festivities.”Every licensed station broadcasting over the public airwaves has a legal obligation to uphold community standards,” said Brent Bozell, head of the Parents Television Council which had complained about the Jackson incident.In addition to owning the CBS television network, Viacom also owns the MTV network, which was involved in producing the halftime show.The FCC said Jackson’s partial nudity was in apparent violation of the broadcast indecency standard, but decided against taking action against other parts of the broadcast as well as commercials despite other complaints.US regulations bar television and radio stations from airing obscene material, and they are limited to airing indecent material, such as explicit sex talk, to late hours when children are less likely to be watching or listening.CBS countered that it had no advance knowledge of the stunt and did not believe indecency rules had been violated.”We are extremely disappointed in the ruling,” the CBS network said in a statement.”We are reviewing all of our options to respond to the ruling.”It has been a rough week for CBS, which admitted earlier this week that its news division had been deliberately misled about the authenticity of documents it aired in a story challenging US President George W. Bush’s military service.The Jackson incident also prompted a crackdown by the FCC on the antics of television and radio stations to the point that many broadcasters are now instituting tape delays of live events to ensure they do not run afoul of the rules.The US$27,500 fine is the maximum currently allowed by law though Congress is contemplating legislation to hike that to as much as US$500,000 per incident.FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein dissented from the decision only to fine the CBS-owned stations, noting that the fine was paltry compared to the US$2,3 million on average the network took in for a 30-second commercial during the game.”Today’s enforcement action goes out of its way to focus narrowly on the exposure of Janet Jackson’s breast on twenty CBS-owned stations,” he said.Viacom shares closed down 54 cents, or 1.6 percent, to $33.10 on the New York Stock Exchange.- Nampa-Reuters