PBS Loosens Indecency Restrictions After Review
PBS said it’s easing its editing requirements for producers after reviewing its indecency guidelines with stations managers, producers and regulators. The decision isn’t “directly” related to Pres. Paula Kerger’s recent meetings with FCC commissioners, Vp Lea Sloan told us. The network also filed as an amicus curiae seeking review of the FCC’s proposed a $15,000 fine against KCSM-TV San Mateo for carrying the PBS documentary The Blues: Godfathers and Sons, whose audio track includes “fuck” and “shit.”
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In the wake of the fine, PBS issued 2 new editing mandates for coarse language (CD June 14 p6). Producers were told that when expletives must be “wiped” or “bleeped,” the entire word must be edited. In dealing with “motherfucker” and other compound words, programmers previously had to bleep only “fucker.” PBS also required that, in scenes showing a person saying “fuck,” “shit” or a variant, the speakers lips had to pixelated -- blurred -- if viewers could make out the word otherwise.
In a memo to programmers, PBS said it took a fresh look at the guidelines and decided to eliminate the need to pixelate. “We originally implemented these more aggressive editing guidelines in light of recent FCC decisions resolving viewer complaints about programming that was in violation of their indecency standard,” the memo said. PBS said it adopted the stringent guidelines on the advice of attorneys and “with the best interest of the stations in mind. But on further review and discussion within the system, we believe that these precautions are not warranted -- at least for now.” Sloan said the guidelines did meet opposition from programmers and Kerger “herself felt that it needed to be reexamined.”
Welcoming PBS decision to do away with the pixelation requirement, Louis Wiley, exec. editor of Frontline, produced by WGBH Boston, said PBS still hasn’t made a decision on the need to bleep compound words with foul language. “So I am hoping they might step back from that as well.” Wiley said he hasn’t received the PBS memo, but acknowledged that PBS issued the original guidelines out of a “genuine concern about the FCC.” But there were no “precedents for requiring that [type of restrictions] yet from the FCC. There may well be in the future but I had hoped we would not be rushing ahead of the FCC in making requirements.”
He said bleeping compound words didn’t make sense if there wasn’t the requirement to blur lips. “If you don’t pixelate, you sort of understand what the word is. And I think it’s useful to know what the word is, rather than to try to hide what the word is.” To provide “clarity and accuracy” of what a person says, Wiley said he believes “we should only bleep the portion required by the FCC. We should not act to go beyond the FCC” requirements. Asked if context would be considered in programming decisions, Wiley said the “situation is very confusing.” From the FCC’s actions, there’s a presumption that “fuck” and “shit” are indecent regardless of context, he said. He said there’s at least one exception: Soldiers at war. The question for broadcasters is whether soldiers recalling a war may use the “F” word. As for Frontline, he said: “Most of the time we will bleep the ‘F’ word and the ‘S’ word.”
Producers also are concerned about whether words will be added to the FCC’s indecency list, Wiley said: “And we haven’t even addressed the issue of nudity -- whether it is allowed in the context of arts or culture programs in which nudity or even sexual situations might be appropriate.” There’s a lot ahead for broadcasters to confront on the indecency issue, he said, but “I am very happy a small battle has been won because pixelation would have seriously affected the work that we do.”