Viacom, FCC Reach $3.5 Million Agreement

[EdwardKnoxII 0]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...t_pe/fcc_viacom

 

Viacom, FCC Reach $3.5 Million Agreement

 

By EMILY FREDRIX, Associated Press Writer

 

WASHINGTON - Viacom agreed Tuesday to pay $3.5 million to end investigations by the Federal Communications Commission (news - web sites) into allegations of indecency in its radio and television programming.

 

The fine, one of the largest in FCC (news - web sites) history, settles three pending FCC investigations, one involving shock jock Howard Stern and two involving Opie and Anthony, who lost their Viacom-owned New York radio show after it featured a couple purporting to have sex inside St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan.

 

Viacom agreed to install audio delay equipment at its radio stations that broadcast live programming, and to train its broadcasters and employees about indecency laws.

 

"This consent decree allows us to move forward and to focus our efforts in this area by serving our viewers and listeners with techniques to safeguard live broadcasts, such as cutaways and video and audio delays," Viacom said in a statement.

 

These are not related to the FCC's $550,000 fine levied against Viacom after the exposure of singer Janet Jackson's breast during the CBS Super Bowl halftime show in January. Viacom is contesting that fine.

 

The agreement cancels investigations into about 50 radio and television shows, said Richard Diamond, FCC deputy secretary of communications. The shows were broadcast by Viacom-owned stations across the country, including some in Florida, Michigan, Ohio, California, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Texas, Massachusetts and New York.

 

Viacom has five days to pay the $3.5 million fine, according to the agreement.

 

Infinity Broadcasting, which is owned by Viacom, paid cumulative fines totaling $1.7 million in 1995 to settle FCC violations by Stern.

 

Stern said last month he was moving from traditional broadcasting to satellite radio network Sirius starting in January 2006, after he finishes his deal with Infinity.

 

Until their broadcast from St. Patrick's Cathedral in 2002, Greg "Opie" Hughes and Anthony Cumia were syndicated in 17 markets outside New York City, including Cleveland, Dallas, Las Vegas, New Orleans and Washington. The pair had been off the air until they joined with XM Satellite Radio in October.

 

By leaving traditional airwaves, the shock jocks avoid any oversight by the FCC.

[Mole 0]

This won't matter in a few years when Stern is on XM.

[Ted the Poster 0]

Stern's not going to XM; he's too much of a pussy to be on the same network as O and A.

[TheBigSwigg 0]

Infinity Broadcasting, which is owned by Viacom

 

DAMMIT! There was a part of me that wanted to believe Infinity wasn't part of a bigger corporation.

 

Also, I think is ridiculous.