June 30, 2004
Jackson Breast Flash May Get $550,000 Fine-Source
Now here's a good way to recoup some of the money wasted on our war in Iraq - AZ
By Jeremy Pelofsky
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - That brief glimpse of Janet Jackson's breast during the Super Bowl could cost 20 television stations owned by Viacom Inc. a total of $550,000, sources familiar with the federal regulatory case said on Wednesday.
During the National Football League's Super Bowl halftime show in February, Jackson's costume was ripped away by fellow singer Justin Timberlake, briefly exposing her breast and sparking a public outcry.
The move accompanied the performance of a song that concludes with the lyrics: "I gotta have you naked by the end of this song."
Flooded with complaints, the Federal Communications Commission staff have proposed commissioners fine Viacom Inc.'s 20 CBS television stations $27,500 each for a total of $550,000, said a source familiar with the case.
The staff did not recommend fining the scores of other CBS affiliate stations that aired the show but are not owned by Viacom, the sources said. Spokesmen for CBS and the FCC declined to comment.
The recommendation is circulating among the five FCC commissioners, who could take weeks to reach a decision.
The Super Bowl garnered almost 90 million viewers, the most since 1998, and Viacom raked in an average of $2.3 million per 30-second commercial. The media conglomerate posted a $711 million profit in the first quarter.
The halftime show was produced by another arm of Viacom, its MTV music television network. Network and NFL officials were hauled before Congress to answer for the flash, which lasted about half a second.
Viacom apologized but said it did not know about the skit. It pledged to use a mechanism that causes a brief delay in the broadcast of live events.
Federal rules bar radio and television broadcasters from airing obscene material. They are also limited to broadcasting indecent content to late night hours when children are less likely to be listening.
The FCC has been cracking down on indecent acts, proposing maximum fines in many cases, and Congress is poised to raise fines to as much as $500,000 per violation.
This month, Clear Channel Communications Inc. , the largest owner of U.S. radio stations, agreed to pay $1.75 million to settle all complaints against its stations. It recently dropped shock jock Howard Stern, who is known for his sexual antics on the radio.
Posted by MK Magazine at June 30, 2004 04:11 PM