maleficent

Saving Private Ryan Preempted
"Saving Private Ryan" will not air tonight on Young Broadcasting Inc. television stations, including WTEN-TV/DT, Albany, NY and WCDC TV/DT, Adams, MA due to concerns about the film's realistic portrayal of wartime images and recent FCC actions regulating broadcasting.

The following is a statement from Young Broadcasting president Deborah McDermott:

Our ABC affiliated stations have, with reluctance, elected not to broadcast the highly acclaimed movie "Saving Private Ryan" in response to new and troubling legal standards from the Federal Communications Commission governing the kind of program content that may be broadcast prior to 10:00 p.m.

The broadcast of this movie on Veterans' Day would have served as a fitting tribute to the brave men and women in uniform who in the past and to this very day serve our nation with honor and distinction.

This has been a difficult and agonizing decision for us. However, we have a responsibility to operate in accord with the law, and until the FCC or the courts clarify what the broadcast legal standards are for programs of this type, we will continue to be confronted with these difficult choices.

We encourage our viewers to share their thoughts with us on all of our program decisions. We value viewer input and will, consistent with our legal responsibilities, continue to be responsive to it.

NPRs Snippet
ABC Affiliates Refuse to Broadcast 'Saving Private Ryan'
All Things Considered, November 11, 2004 · More than 20 stations affiliated with the ABC network decline to carry the network's broadcast Thursday of Saving Private Ryan. A contract requires that the movie be shown unedited, and some stations object its repeated profanity.

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On Veteran's Day, refusing to air this movie, just seems so wrong.

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MSD

The FCC now has stations too scared to broadcast legitimate movies because of their absurd actions. This is exactly what they want, and this new trend of unnecessary and unethical media regulation infuriates me.

Coppertop

Don't see what's so offensive about this movie. Sure there's violence and gore: duh, it's a war movie. That's why there's more than one station. Guess the FCC truly has our best interests at heart.

JumpinJesus

I used to love going to the Redwood forests in California but I never got to see it because of all those trees.

Unbelievable that a movie that portrays what our veterans go through in such a realistic and honorable way (according to my grandfather, a WW2 vet), gets shunned because of all those dirty words.

The imbecilic station managers miss the point of the movie completely.

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Ustwo

Since the movie has already been aired twice, perhaps this is just a stunt to get people to take notice and make noise.

Don't be played.

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Shady

It was played on ABC in my viewing area tonight. I thought it was awesome that they would air the whole movie uncut. I wasn't aware that not all stations were showing it though. That sucks.

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Averett

Guess which is my ABC channel? WTEN. Thanks, jerks.

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vermin

Watching it right now in Tucson.

P.S. I have the DVD and can watch it anytime.

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guthmund

Was it aired completely unedited before?

I'm watched it for a few minutes around 7:30 and heard a whole lot of swearing going on. Real swearing not that overdub crap that nobody buys (even the most horrible of horrible...."fuck").

Did they do this before?

Just curious. Seems pretty ballsy to me. Comedy Central makes a big point to advertise their uncut, unedited Saturday night movies. They air at 11:00 at night, Saving Private Ryan was on at 7:00.

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LIMilf

It has been shown before, but that was all before the Janet Jackson fiasco. And I read somewhere that in the contract ABC signed with Steven Spielberg, they can not edit the film in any way. So I can see how some stations are scared, you can get fined for anything now a days

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spindles

those who want to watch it could always go to the video shop...

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goddfather40

True, but the novelty of watching it on regular broadcast television is what intrigues many people. See this movie in all it's glory, with all the fucks and shits and bloody gore just does not happen on American free TV due to FCC regulations.

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denim

The stations involved are almost certainly trying to make a point in the only way they have available which doesn't cost them serious cash. The FCC has its head up its ass.

Drider_it

its too realistic? wow thats a frist. god forbid anyone growing up dosent watch that movie. i still think every teenage loser should go to Arlington National Cemetery and be forced to walk around there and understand what was used to win their freedom. American lives. countless american lives. i still believe that they would grow up a little better. In the face of that a new truth would hit them. They arent immortal and they can die. Thier actions can determin this future.

that place has a sobering effect on a grand scale.

sorry i dont cry much at movies but i can never make it through the last scene dry eyed. having a close realitive in "true" wars does that to you.

i think the FCC should sit down and take a long look at what quality and honor means.

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fulltiltgonzo

I find it ironic that the same govenment that will send troops into such a situation as we are in in Iraq would object to an accurate depiction of the result of such actions...

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tecoyah

It is unfortunate, in my opinion, that we accept three hours of "fictional" violence every night in prime time, but find it offensive to watch a film based on the realities that violence leaves in its wake. War is in our living rooms every day, on CNN and FOX in the form of news, but is toned down and "De-Humanized" to make it palatable for the masses. Given the opportunity to see a somewhat realistic portrayal of the destruction and brutilization that is inherent in warfare.....we find it....too violent.
Ask Uncle Joe....who was there in WWII, about the "feelings" this Movie creates in his mind, and he comes close to tears, but simply says "It comes Pretty Damn Close" .
To me....that says more about the validity of such a production, than the FCC could ever put in regulations. I watched the Movie on DVD last night, just because I wanted to, as a reminder, that many are dying today in Iraq......I really dont care if the broadcast stations lack the courage to face reality........The sad fact is, Others are doing so today, in our name, on foreign soil, just as in the movie.

We Should Give Our Thoughts To Them.......That Is The Priority On This Day.

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Ustwo

The problem with the Jackson thing was the 'ambush'. Family superbowl time, whoa thats a titty. The argument that you can decide what your kids can and can't watch did not apply there.

On the other hand when you have Saving PR, and I'm sure they had a lengthy 'This movie has some really nasty stuff in it' warning, and you STILL let your kids watch, then its your fault, not the networks if you didn't want them to see it.

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ironman

Living in Guatemala, we never have that kind of problems, sweet!!!!

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Supple Cow

There's also the fact that it was Veteran's Day. Despite the many negative contributions that television and mass media in general have made, there's something special and unifying about watching with millions of other Americans - at least in spirit.

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hunnychile

Bet the stations not airing "Saving Private Ryan" are all located in the Red states (per this past election).

It was shown in it's uncut entirety in the San Francisco Bay area and through out northern California. Freedom is now a regional demographic state of mind more than ever. My father was in France in WWII and I am proud to say that I watched it in his honor. It was a just war for the right reason: To stop Hitler and the hate he was unleashing on millions of innocent people. Never was it based upon oil and money for capitalist pigs like Dick Cheney.

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Wow.........

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shortynickel

i dont beleive that is the point of the post sir...i have the dvd myself and wouldnt watch it on tv if i can watch it at my house with surround sound...

but i think that Stern is right when he says that Michael Powell got the job at the FCC cause of his father and he is making things unreasonable imo....i hear some Top 40 stations playing songs that you can hear any swear word in the book, cause they only act like they edited it out which is upsurd(sp?) that of all things some TV and Radio stations are too afraid of airing things such as Saving Private Ryan....that is one of my all time favorite movies and shouldnt be censored...tho i agree that maybe they should let the F word out be heard in every other sentence.

yournamehere

I find it very logical. The best way to get young men to go to war is to have them think war is a John Wayne movie.

That being said, I'm on the fence on this issue. On one hand, I don't see the harm, as long as the disclaimers were accurate and conspicuous, which they were.

On the other hand, according to the rules of the FCC, there's no way they didn't break the rules by showing it. The movie simply has too much violence and swearing in it to adhere to FCC regulations.

The simple truth is that they've made an exception for this movie three times now (well - two in some areas), which will open the door for some logical arguments by other directors wanting their movies shown uncut, also. Spielberg seems to have special priveleges in that department, though - and I say that without judgement, but Schindler's List also was shown, and in addition to the violence it contains, it shows much more of the human body than Janet Jackson ever did.

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vermin

The only point to my post was that, unlike some cities around the country, the stations in Tucson were showing it uncut. The DVD comment was a "P.S." for a reason.

P.S. i before e, except after c...

(see? the P.S. is unrelated to the thing above it, yet relevant in a tangential way.)

As for the stations that pussed out, well, they're pussies. Having broadcast it uncut in two previous years without sanction sets a precedent which can be cited when appealing whatever fine the FCC may assess. Unless their lawyers are total morons.

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Kalnaur

Chock another victory up for Corporate America.

Dammit.

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alicat

I too, own the DVD of "Saving Private Ryan". Actually, it's one of the only 3 DVD's I own. I have to say that I'm flabbergasted at everyone who's got a problem with language or content. The movie is full of "real" violence and language. It is the first WW2 movie I've ever seen that made my jaw drop and my eyes tear up due to it's realism. Is it gory? Yes. Is it shocking? Yes. Is it realistic? I think so, but i don't know. My Maternal Grandfather was a Glider Pilot during WW2 and died quite a few years after the war ended due to alcoholism (by all accounts due to the war). He wasn't a participant in the final days of the war. I have the very faintist memory of him from when I was 3 yrs. old and just before he died.

Oh, they say fuck sometimes, we better not watch this movie, or let our children, because there are swear words. Nevermind that men are being blown to bits fighting for freedom and democracy (which our country is founded on) on another countries soil for the good of all mankind (or at least the countries affected by WW2).

My hubby went to France about 5 yrs. ago for work. He was staying just outside of Caan but made a point to request at least a day off so he could go to the site of the Normandy invasion. We're both only 33 and he has no familial ties to WW2, yet being in France, standing in the bunkers and seeing the acres upon acres of headstones belonging to all men alike (not just American's) who died in the war affected him deeply.

I'm not usually one to force my opinions, but come on people, choose your battles. Do we really want our children growing up ignorant to the facts of service in the military, and of battle and war? Or do we want them signing up for service with the full knowledge that the may die for their country? I for one want my child (of legal age) to know what they're getting themselves into and why. Sugar-coating (that is, censoring) war movies isin't helping or protecting anyone, it's turning a blind-eye to reality. Video games are just as or more gory than anything seen on CNN. Come to think of it, the armed services are pretty smart by turning to games and commercials that resemble games to recruit people these days.....

Bleh, my .02, not that it matters. Not nessessarily here on TFP but in our country as a whole (US), we seem to be so polorized that it's either "I'm right and your wrong" or "You're wrong and I'm right". Why can't we all just get along....

Ali

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isis

I noticed something today though.

Watching the news, I noticed a scene from Iraq being played. I swear, the first thing that crossed my mind is 'This looks like Saving Private Ryan.' The reality and fantasy are so close right now, I think that tightwads are starting to worry about it.

It was really weird, me seeing this like 10 minutes before this thread.

f6twister

It really pisses me off to see how a brief nipple exposure led to this. Whether you belief the exposure was accidental or planned, the response by the FCC was completely wrong. Now you have everyone in TV programming filling their pants everytime something that could even remotely be considered offensive is going to be aired. Nipple slips have been seen on TV, war has been seen on TV, swearing has occurred on TV. None of this is new. If it wasn't a problem before the nipple, why is it a problem now? Growing up my parents controlled what I watched until they I reached an age at which they felt I could understand and deal with what I was seeing but accidents happened. There reaction was to either turn off what was on the screen and explain what I had seen or to let it run and explain anything that I had questions about when it was done. They didn't complain to the FCC, the TV station or movie producers then file a multimillion dollar lawsuit for taking my innocence.

With that said, I found Saving Private Ryan to be a very detailed portrail of war. Talking with friends who have returned from Iraq, I can tell you that there is as much as or more "F" words being said than probably used in the movie. The only thing accomplished by not airing the movie is to keep people from seeing reality and sadly, it seems that most people prefer to live in that fantasy land.

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