Commentary

Profanity! Live On C-Span!

Profanity, in all its colorful mutations, will finally be on display on TV--all in the hopes of deciding what effing words TV people are allowed to say.

On Dec. 20, C-SPAN will be allowed to cover the oral arguments by broadcasters against a March decision the Federal Communications Commission made against the Fox Billboard Awards for comments made by Cher and Nicole Richie.

All this--in the name of journalism and information--will give viewers and business professionals some tangible stuff to play with.

Right now, FCC regulators do allow certain words at certain times. Reporters doing live news reports, for example, can curse to their hearts content if a cruise missile is bearing down on them. "Gee, whiz! I think someone may get killed here," may be a thought hard to conjugate quickly on TV in stressful military situations.

But forget about the joy of winning a music award. If anyone is that effing happy, award winners will have to wait until the after-party to get vulgar with Bono.

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Of course, cable TV is not ruled by any of the regulations that over the air stations have; everyone on cable shows can curse at will. But--with the exception of "South Park" and a few other cases--those networks like to be on the same playing field for advertisers as the broadcast networks.

Stations' public licenses for the airways are meant, in part, to provide viewers pressing news and informational services--and no swearing. The other part of those licenses allows media conglomerates to make some nice millions in exchange for those meager efforts.

C-SPAN's Coverage will also allow viewers to see exactly what comes out of the minds and mouths of FCC commissioners. Should Janet Jackson's name come up, or that of some erectile dysfunction drugs, or a Bono story, or unscripted blurbs from an Iraq-based ABC News reporter, we'll all know where the seams are in this touchy world of TV language.

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