FCC To Levy Heavy Fines for Bare Body Parts Shown During P..

http://www.sportspickle.com/features/2004-1124-brawl.html

Prompted by more than 50,000 complaints, the FCC is set to levy heavy
fines against cable and broadcast networks that showed clips of the
near-riot during the Detroit Pistons-Indiana Pacers game last Friday.

"We need to expect broadcasters to show some level of
restraint," said FCC chairman Michael Powell. "I was outraged to see
so much nudity being shown during that incident - scandalously bare
arms and bare legs. There were even glimpses of Ron Artest's naked
chest. This is indecent and unacceptable."

The FCC's involvement in the matter comes just one week
after Powell expressed outrage over the appearance of 'Desperate
Housewives's' Nicolette Sheridan in nothing more than a towel in an
'Monday Night Football' intro on ABC, and less than a year after the
FCC slapped CBS with a $550,000 fine for the Janet Jackson fiasco
during the Super Bowl halftime show in February.

ESPN, which broadcast the melee live, is expected to be hit with the
heaviest fine, but Powell has also promised punishments for local
network stations that showed clips of the fights on the news.

"Powell and the FCC have definitely gotten out of control
with this stuff," said Dale Bettman, director of the government
watchdog group Freedom Government. "Exposing a bare breast on
broadcast television is one thing, but going after ABC for showing a
woman's back - and now this thing with the basketball players' arms
and legs - is extremely ridiculous."

But Powell claims he is just trying to protect the
interests of the American public.

"This country was not founded on the kinds of values that
are being promoted on television and in movies," said Powell. "The
incident in Detroit was a disgrace - there were numerous shots of
sweaty, muscled arms and legs, and people clutching and grabbing at
their clothing. I, for one, found that very sexually suggestive and
perverse, as did thousands of people around this great country."

"There are wackos all over the United States who will
write the government about anything and everything that offends them,"
said Bettman. "If we're going to let these people run the country, let
me know so I can move to Iran or someplace like that."

T-Bone <boneski.TakeThisOut@newsguy.com> wrote in message news:<n2veq010pibvefslg6q7fhmkn4hkviug0f.TakeThisOut@4ax.com>...
> http://www.sportspickle.com/features/2004-1124-brawl.html
>
> Prompted by more than 50,000 complaints, the FCC is set to levy heavy
> fines against cable and broadcast networks that showed clips of the
> near-riot during the Detroit Pistons-Indiana Pacers game last Friday.
>
> "We need to expect broadcasters to show some level of
> restraint," said FCC chairman Michael Powell. "I was outraged to see
> so much nudity being shown during that incident - scandalously bare
> arms and bare legs. There were even glimpses of Ron Artest's naked
> chest. This is indecent and unacceptable."
>
> The FCC's involvement in the matter comes just one week
> after Powell expressed outrage over the appearance of 'Desperate
> Housewives's' Nicolette Sheridan in nothing more than a towel in an
> 'Monday Night Football' intro on ABC, and less than a year after the
> FCC slapped CBS with a $550,000 fine for the Janet Jackson fiasco
> during the Super Bowl halftime show in February.
>
> ESPN, which broadcast the melee live, is expected to be hit with the
> heaviest fine, but Powell has also promised punishments for local
> network stations that showed clips of the fights on the news.
>
> "Powell and the FCC have definitely gotten out of control
> with this stuff," said Dale Bettman, director of the government
> watchdog group Freedom Government. "Exposing a bare breast on
> broadcast television is one thing, but going after ABC for showing a
> woman's back - and now this thing with the basketball players' arms
> and legs - is extremely ridiculous."
>
> But Powell claims he is just trying to protect the
> interests of the American public.
>
> "This country was not founded on the kinds of values that
> are being promoted on television and in movies," said Powell. "The
> incident in Detroit was a disgrace - there were numerous shots of
> sweaty, muscled arms and legs, and people clutching and grabbing at
> their clothing. I, for one, found that very sexually suggestive and
> perverse, as did thousands of people around this great country."
>
> "There are wackos all over the United States who will
> write the government about anything and everything that offends them,"
> said Bettman. "If we're going to let these people run the country, let
> me know so I can move to Iran or someplace like that."

I think they ought to crack down on these players who come onto the
court partially dressed, with their shirttails hanging out and their
pants untied.