11-20-2004, 05:12 AM
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#52 (permalink)
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Banned
Location: Massachusetts, USA
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Viacom has a clue!
link
Quote:
Viacom won't pay for Super Bowl gaffe
11:46 PM CST on Friday, November 19, 2004
Bloomberg News
Viacom Inc. Co-President and CBS Chief Executive Leslie Moonves said the company won't pay a $550,000 fine levied by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission for a Super Bowl halftime broadcast in which singer Janet Jackson's breast was bared.
"We are not going to pay it," Moonves said during a speech at a "Future of Television" forum at New York University. "We will take it as high it can go legally."
At the Feb. 1 Super Bowl halftime show, watched by 90 million viewers on Viacom's CBS network, singer Justin Timberlake reached across Jackson's leather outfit and pulled away a chest covering, exposing her breast. The incident prompted a record half-million complaints to the FCC. CBS has said it didn't know in advance about plans to expose Jackson.
The fine imposed the maximum $27,500 penalty against each of the 20 CBS-owned stations that aired the Super Bowl. It was the largest fine ever imposed on TV stations for indecency. If the FCC stands by the penalty, CBS may appeal to a federal appeals court.
Moonves' comments came the same week of another possible indecency issue involving a football telecast.
The pregame skit on "Monday Night Football," broadcast by Walt Disney Co.'s ABC, showed actress Nicollette Sheridan of the network's "Desperate Housewives" embracing Philadelphia Eagles receiver Terrell Owens after dropping the towel she was wearing.
The National Football League and ABC apologized the next day, and the FCC said it is reviewing the spot.
"We're in a very scary climate, and it concerns me," Moonves said. "But I have not asked our people to change what we do."
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