BuzzMachine blog evangelist and media pundit Jeff Jarvis has the cover of the new edition of Nation magazine with his article "F*cked by the F*CC" and analysis of the uneven and unequal treatment of the FCC in the assault against Howard Stern and others.
Jarvis has been warning about this turn of events for a long time . . . not just the actions against Stern, but the ramifications for free speech in general. As a longtime columnist for TV Guide and the founder of Entertainment Weekly, he's in a good position to have the big picture.
Read today's roundup, including links to past comments . . .
My two cents . . . first, Stern has gotten a huge bump in ratings in his new status as poster-boy for the FCC witch hunt. I once was a daily listener of Stern, and ceased to be a listener, as did many of my compadres, because frankly he got old and tired. Now, thanks to the FCC, he's back with a martyr's cross, an agenda, and new top ratings.
Second, in reading the almost daily stories about new crackdowns, it's obvious that the FCC is targetting political enemies, while protecting friendlies for the same offenses. This inequality of treatment is going to end up biting them in the ass. Also, the growing list of "offensive" language is out of all bounds of reality. Verbal Prohibition is not going to work . . . instead, it's going to stir up a revolution that's going to hand a big pile of ammunition to the political enemies of the Administration.
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