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The latest FCC FOIAs

16 comments on The latest FCC FOIAs

The latest FCC FOIAs

: I just filed more Freedom of Information Act requests with the FCC (one of the latest filed with Air America’s Morning Sedition). Now I have four in the works:

: I’m asking for any evidence the FCC has that any Viacom companies and executives knew of Janet Jackson’s breast-baring before it happend. That is, if they were fined and Jackson was not and if the breast-baring was the only crime, then I want to see the evidence that ties Viacom directly to the crime. Due process, you know.

: I asked to see “any documents relating to how the FCC determines the ‘community standards’ it uses as its guideline in determining indecency and profanity complaints against broadcast media — including, but not limited to any surveys, focus group results, research, reports, data or other material.” The FCC says it enforces “community standards.” OK, then how does it know what the community’s standards are?

: I asked to see the nine complaints that triggered the indecency investigation of NBC’s coverage of the Olympics. This was Air America’s suggestion.

: I asked to see any correspondence between Brent Bozell and the Parents Television Council and any of the FCC Commissioners (other than any of the thousands of replies to their thousands of manufactured complaints).

You’ll be the first to know what happens. And if you have any more ideas, let me know.

16 responses to “The latest FCC FOIAs”

  1. -asx- Avatar
    -asx-

    Hi Jeff,
    Kudos on the good work.
    Here’s an idea: Find out how many complaints there have been about Rush Limbaugh’s recent use of the word “dick” on his show. It would be interesting if there were as many — or more — complaints about Limbaugh than about these other incidents. It would certainly suggest a politcal agenda, if there were.
    -asx-

  2. Dan G Avatar
    Dan G

    Likewise Oprah.

  3. Evan Avatar
    Evan

    Find out how many of my tax dollars are being spent to go through documents to satify freedom of information act requests from Jeff Jarvis.

  4. Jeff Jarvis Avatar
    Jeff Jarvis

    Evan:
    One helluva lot less than is being spent having high-priced goverment attorneys investigating whether greek statues are indecent. Would you prefer that we cannot find out what our government is doing with our money?

  5. Josh Hallett Avatar
    Josh Hallett

    Correct me if I am wrong here Jeff, but aren’t you charged some sort of fee for your requests if it requires significant work?

  6. John Thorpe Avatar
    John Thorpe

    How about just asking for all of their internal communications (including emails) that reference Bozo’s group in any way. Or you could do it on a case-by-case basis.
    Let them hand over every document they have.

  7. Del Avatar
    Del

    Whatever it costs, it’s worth it. Im sure its pennies compared to the busy work they have to do to respond to those nuts at the PTC. I’m looking forward to seeing the results.
    I wouldn’t mind knowing how many of the complaints about the Desp Housewives commercial during MNF were because of ‘race’. Its unlikely that many would have specified that in their complaint even if that was the reason, but some might have. I think if it would have been a white player and a white woman there would have been alot less fuss about it – probably very little, if any.

  8. JRK Avatar
    JRK

    Air America and Jeff. Sounds about right to me. Jihad Jeff. Go get ’em. I won’t be happy personally til American radio and tv during family hour and the Super Bowl is like the red light district in Amsterdam. I want Desperate Housewives porn. I’m not satisfied with Dan Rather bottomless beneath the desk, I want all the newies topless too. Also, while you’re at it Jeff, get an investigation going into my damn Comcast cable and ‘net costs.

  9. Jeff Jarvis Avatar
    Jeff Jarvis

    Member of the PTC, JRK?

  10. JRK Avatar
    JRK

    We’re the only ones up at this time? Rust never sleeps, I’ve heard, and in my case it’s true…et tu, JJ?
    Anyway, I am a member–or at least formerly–of the Parents/ Teachers Council in my township. We don’t agree on this topic, but I always read and you’ve got a lifetime pass for your brave (given what ‘Dems’ think of you now!) support of ITM.
    Unlike you, I have no problem with any pressure groups taking advantage of the messiness of democracy, or more precisely, the manner in which all sorts of pressure groups pursue their agendas. Obviously, inter alia, it stirs the kind of lively debate here at BM and elsewhere that’s ultimately healthy.

  11. Karl Cremslinier Avatar
    Karl Cremslinier

    Yes, I know I filed an official complaint on Oprah shortly after the 3-18-04 show. I would love to see the numbers of complaints that the FCC decided to ignore. I think Howard himself tried to rally his listeners into filing complaints to see how the balance would play out.
    (brief story here http://www.1115.org/archives/000374.html and here http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=21323)
    I have no numbers, but I would imagine there were far MORE children in the room for Oprah’s show than any idiot parent allowing their child to listen to Stern.
    Dont get me wrong, I love Howard’s show, I am just smart enough not to have my kids listen.

  12. knobboy Avatar
    knobboy

    Yeah, guy at BestBuy told me they have these things on TVs and radios these days called knobs (no relation).
    He said you can use them to do stuff like change channels and what not. Supposedly you can even turn the things off and go outside or read a book.

  13. button Avatar
    button

    Yes, Jeff, there are related problems.
    Lately, we are being inundated with L-v-tra commercials during the dinnertime tv news. They are not simply broadcasting them, they are bombarding us with them. I counted 2 within a half-hour. There seem to be several an hour.
    These commercials feature a smarmy actress whose only talent is her remarkable ability to smirk throughout the entire duration. She is the longest smirker I have ever come across. And it’s all about Erection!
    I don’t know about your family’s habits or schedule, but kids are sometimes asked by their teachers to watch the news for Current Events period at school, so the dinnertime news would be the version they would watch.
    Where are the ‘Community Standards’ about this?
    I don’t think L-v-tra commercials are appropriate to the dinnertime news. I want them limited to after 10pm or confined to special subscription porno channels. They are Adult material as far as I’m concerned.
    But that’s not the end of it. I suspect they’re getting away with this because the big pharmaceutical corp which owns L-v-tra has contributed a lot of money to someone who has the power to broadcast their tv commercials regardless of inappropriate circumstances. How much did that company contribute to who? And doesn’t that constitute a bribe?
    It looks like the large pharm. company which owns L-v-tra is being given wider latitude for their ‘freedom of expression’ than others, and that it may be based on their ability to pay via political contributions.
    I wish someone would get to the bottom of this.
    And I would like to see Michael Powell publicly explain and justify his permission to allow a flagrantly dirty tv commercial to play during the dinnertime tv news.
    Most of all– these L-v-tra commercials are extremely obnoxious and INSUFFERABLE! I want them off the air except as I’ve described (after 10pm, etc). I want them gone!
    How do we get relief from this plague? And why should we have to tell the FCC that this is extremely INAPPROPIATE? They should have enough sense to realize it themselves– unless that pharm company is paying them off.
    I hope my suspicions are unfounded.
    A notice at the top of this thread advises me that my comment ‘could not be submitted due to questionable content: the drug name.’ The company is paying you off now, too? I am going to copy this comment to my notepad and if it is rejected by your weblog again, I shall send it to you by email. Since when do you have a censor on your weblog for male performance-enhancing drugs? This is a Sacred Cow for you? You mean, I have just pushed the envelope too far? So This is you personal Achilles heel? Why do you bother soliciting suggestions if you’re going to censor them? Talk about Double Standards!

  14. jeremy in NYC Avatar
    jeremy in NYC

    button – whoa there. Usually the reason drug names are not permitted by filters is to avoid the sheer amount of spam attempted by the companies pusing erectile dysfunction drugs, not to censor you.

  15. Jeff Jarvis Avatar
    Jeff Jarvis

    Thank you, Jeremy: Exactly. The only way to eliminate some comment spam is to eliminate the words with which they are trying to squeeze Google juice. I have no particlar reason to think that most readers would need to use those words or they can be imaginative to find alternatives.

  16. button Avatar
    button

    Jeff, I realized this later on, much after the fact :-)
    I got so worked up over this topic, my tin foil conspiracy cap was not adjusted accurately!