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StumbleUponThe FCC, Radio & Censorship: Defining Decency
6/25/01
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently fined a community radiostation for airing a political rap song that attacks sexual exploitation anddegrading lyrics in popular music.
On May 17, the FCC issued a $7,000 fine to Portland, Oregon's KBOO, alistener-sponsored station, charging that Sarah Jones' "Your Revolution"violated the Commission's decency standards, which were revised in April.The song, which challenges the sexualization of women in rap, asserts that"your revolution will not happen between these thighs."
The FCC ruled that "Your Revolution" contained "unmistakable patentlyoffensive sexual references" that "appear to be designed to pander andshock." This ruling came after the FCC issued an order, nearly seven yearsin the making, to "provide guidance to broadcast licensees regardingcompliance with the Commission's indecency regulations."
The FCC's indecency rules define indecent speech as "language that, incontext, depicts or describes, in terms patently offensive as measured bycontemporary community standards for the broadcast medium, sexual orexcretory activities or organs."
Far from clarifying the FCC guidelines, the Jones case reveals howunqualified the FCC is to determine the bounds of decency. Much of whatmight be considered "indecent" in the song are references to the sexism inthe songs Jones is criticizing.
The Jones case received less attention than the FCC's June 1 decision toimpose a fine-- also $7,000-- on commercial radio station KKMG in ColoradoSprings, Colorado for airing an edited version of "The Real Slim Shady," asong by rap artist Eminem. The FCC determined that the song violated itsindecency standards, despite the fact that expletives had been bleeped outor removed. Ironically, "The Real Slim Shady" also includes ananti-censorship message, pointing out what Eminem sees as double standardsabout what kinds of speech are considered acceptable in popular culture.
The FCC's new "get tough" policy stands in sharp contrast to Powell'searlier statements about indecency. As Salon pointed out (6/13/01), Powellexpressed skepticism about taking action on decency at his first pressconference as FCC chair: "I don't want the government as my nanny. I stillhave never understood why something as simple as turning it off is not partof the answer." His changed may be due to pressure from conservative groups.''This is probably a result of pressure from this organization," Morality inMedia's Paul McGeady said of the Eminem decision (Village Voice, 6/19/01).
While cracking down on "indecency," the FCC's interest in regulatingcorporate control of the public airwaves seems to be at an all-time low. FCCChair Michael Powell has advocated a deregulatory strategy that would likelyremove the remaining legal limits on media consolidation.
By penalizing KBOO, the government is punishing an attempt to respond tooffensive speech with more speech. Sarah Jones' critique is likely to be amore effective response than censorship to the cultural violence andmisogyny represented by Eminem-- but if the FCC fails to uphold its mandateof maintaining a diversity of voices on the public airwaves, there will befewer and fewer places where such a critique is likely to be heard.
ACTION: Please contact the Federal Communications Commission about itsattempts to define "decency" for the public. You might encourage the FCC tofocus its attention on media consolidation instead, which has a much broaderand more lasting impact on the content of the nation's airwaves.
CONTACT:Michael Powell, FCC ChairFederal Communications Commission445 12th St. S.W.Washington, DC 20554mpowell@fcc.govPhone: 1-888-225-5322Fax: 1-202-418-0232
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