ABC-affiliated TV stations across the country, concerned about FCC rules on indecency, are interrupting their November ratings period to dump “Saving Private Ryan” on Veterans Day. At least 20 stations broadcasting to at least 30% of the country are refusing to show the film tonight. The list of stations may grow today.
The concern is that somebody will file a complaint with the FCC over the movie’s graphic content. It is not the extremely violent war scenes at the opening of the film that worries stations. It is the repeated use of the F-word that has TV stations backing off airing it. Station groups tell me that they estimate the F-word is used more than a dozen times in the movie.
The F-word, as you will recall, has been a hot button issue with the Federal Communications Commission (See Chairman Michael Powell’s statement from March 18, 2004).
Big stations, like WOI in Des Moines, WSB in Atlanta, WISN in Milwaukee, and WFTV in Orlando confirm that they are pulling “Saving Private Ryan” along with many smaller market stations. One small station in Colorado Springs, KRDO-TV, said it will run the movie because the film is “meant to educate the audience on a piece of American history,” and not intended to shock the viewers. Veterans are starting to speak out angrily.
Scripps Howard Broadcasting, owner of five ABC affiliates in Baltimore, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Phoenix, and Tampa, sent me a statement explaining why it is removing the movie from all of its stations:
The movie contains profanity to help depict the confusion, violence, and horror of combat in the Normandy Invasion. Due to graphic violence and intense adult language, the movie is rated “TVMA.”
While it has been broadcast twice before, recent federal regulatory decisions on profanity appear to make it clear the Federal Communications Commission prohibits the broadcast of the type of profanity used in the movie. Clear unequivocal warnings to viewers about the mature language and violent content do not appear to mitigate a TV station’s obligation to prohibit the broadcast of profane language prior to 10 p.m.
Belo said it asked the network for permission to delay the film until later in the evening but the network refused. Belo owns ABC-affiliated television stations in Dallas/Fort Worth (WFAA), Hampton/Norfolk, Va. (WVEC), Louisville, Ky. (WHAS), and Austin, Texas (KVUE). The company sent me a statement saying, in part:
Due to the intense adult language and graphic violence throughout the movie, Belo Corp. believes it is inappropriate to air this movie at a time when large numbers of young children are watching television. As such, we requested that ABC permit our ABC-affiliated television stations to delay “Saving Private Ryan” from the 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. start to a 9 p.m. start. This is an important film about an historic time in American and world history and deserves to be broadcast, but in a more appropriate time period. We are disappointed that ABC denied our request. As a result, we have made the difficult decision to offer alternative programming on our stations.The Charlotte Observer says that WSOC-TV is also pulling the program.
“We certainly have respect for the artistic value of the movie,” said WSOC V.P. Lee Armstrong. “Our concern is that in the present climate, people have heartfelt concern about the ‘safe harbor’ time.”
“Safe harbor” is considered the prime-time hours between 8 and 10 p.m., when broadcasters are expected by the FCC to be mindful of the presence of children in the viewing audience.
… ABC said that the movie would carry advisories and a mature-audience parental guideline. The network provided local affiliates with a copy of the program this week, and Armstrong said it was deemed inappropriate because of content for WSOC and two other stations owned by Cox Communications, WSB in Atlanta and WFTV in Orlando.
The Des Moines Register says several Iowa and Nebraska stations sought permission from ABC to show the film at 10:35 p.m. but the network said no. They also turned to the FCC to get an advanced waiver but the feds said no.
Instead of showing the film, the three Citadel stations will show a music program from 7 to 8 p.m. and the TV movie “Return to Mayberry” from 8 to 10 p.m.
WOI-TV in Des Moines issued this statement:
Channel 5 WOI-TV has decided not to air the ABC-TV Thursday night presentation of the film, “Saving Private Ryan”, at 7 p.m. The film was to air uncut. The following is a statement from the President of WOI-TV, Raymond H. Cole:
We made this decision after considerable thought and reluctance.
As many of you may be aware, the Federal Communications Commission has changed its standards for certain content related to programming broadcast before 10 p.m. These changes followed the Janet Jackson incident at the Super Bowl earlier this year. The inconsistent manner in which the FCC is choosing to apply these rules puts TV stations like ours in a most difficult position. As this relates to “Saving Private Ryan,” our concern centers on whether the FCC would consider the context in which the intense adult language and graphic battleground violence is presented in the movie. Would the FCC conclude that the movie has sufficient social, artistic, literary, historical, or other kinds of value that would protect us from breaking the law?
Can a movie with an “M” rating, however prestigious the production or poignant the subject matter, be shown before 10 p.m.? With the current FCC, we just don’t know. This is the case even though this same movie has been broadcast in prime time twice before on this station without complaint. Adding to our frustration is the fact that a fine motion picture like “Saving Private Ryan” can be shown on cable or satellite without any government agency restriction or regulation.
We regret that we are not able to broadcast a patriotic, artistic tribute to our fighting forces like “Saving Private Ryan.” However, on this Veterans Day, we do wish to pay tribute to all the men and women — past and present — who so nobly serve our country. Thank you and good evening.
The Parents Television Council president Brent Bozell released this statement:
I first heard about this controversy when Mike James at NewsBlues.com dropped me a note yesterday after breaking the story.
Context is everything. We agreed with the FCC on its ruling that the airing of “Schindler’s List” on television was not indecent and we feel that “Saving Private Ryan” is in the same category. In both films, the content is not meant to shock, nor is it gratuitous. We applaud ABC for letting viewers know ahead of time about the graphic nature of the film and that the film would be uncut.
Phone Cards to Soldiers
Here is a Veterans Day story you can do. This idea also has legs for the holidays. If Americans want to do something for soldiers serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, how about donating gift phone cards to them so they can call home. It would not be hard to find somebody who is home on leave or who has completed his or her service to talk about how important calls to home are for active duty military.
The Seattle Times includes an Associated Press story that says a newlywed couple is sending to troops a batch of cards they received as gifts.
Since 1996, the VFW has supported Operation Uplink, which gets the pre-paid phone cards into the hands of the servicemen and servicewomen.
The VFW says since the program began it has distributed more than 4 million phone cards representing 60 million calling minutes.
In Manchester, New Hampshire, firefighters are holding a charity run Sunday to raise money for Operation Uplink. They hope to hit $10,000 in donations.
Great Crop Year, But…
Across America’s breadbasket, combines have been humming all week.
The corn harvest nationwide has been so good that there is a shortage of places to store the grain. Corn prices are low, so farmers don’t want to sell just yet. Forecasts are calling for a new record for corn production.
Grain market watchers say:
This corn crop had certainly the most favorable growing conditions in the last 20 years, and maybe the best in the last 50 years.
The downside to a great corn growing season is that the huge supply drives down prices and increases grain surpluses. Farmers are hoping that increased ethanol production and exports will help prop up demand.
The St. Louis Business Journal reported:
The ethanol industry could generate about 3.35 billion gallons this year, a 19 percent increase from 2003 and setting a new record, the National Corn Growers Association said Tuesday.
As of the end of August, U.S. ethanol producers had generated 2.23 billion gallons of the corn-based fuel at 81 plants nationwide. The industry set a monthly production record in August generating 225,000 barrels a day.
A GPS Christmas
No more fighting over directions — it is going to be a GPS Christmas.
Test them. Have fun.
Software Improves Pitch
NPR carried an interesting story about computer programs that can’t make an awful singer sound great, but can make a less than perfect singer sound a lot better.
NPR reports:
A number of computer programs can correct pitch to make just about anyone sound in tune — even NPR’s Renee Montagne, who lends her voice to show how the software works. The technology has become quite prevalent in the music industry, finding its way into many of today’s pop recordings — and some classical ones, as well.
Lots of you have recording businesses in your towns. What an interesting story, especially for TV and radio. Newspapers folks could find this a great opportunity to do a multimedia story and include audio in the Web version of the story.
We are always looking for your great ideas. Send Al a few sentences and hot links.
Editor’s Note: Al’s Morning Meeting is a compendium of ideas, edited story excerpts, and other materials from a variety of websites, as well as original concepts and analysis. When the information comes directly from another source, it will be attributed, and a link will be provided, whenever possible.
