GLAAD Files FCC Complaint Against Anti-Gay Spanish-Language TV Show

In a joint move with the National Hispanic Coalition, GLAAD announced today that it is filing an FCC complaint against the Spanish-language show, Jose Luis sin Censura, which routinely features anti-LGBT hate speech and has encouraged audience members to attack gay guests on the program.

In over twenty episodes that aired between June 18 and December 7, 2010, the program contained images and language of the nature that is never displayed or is bleeped out of pre-taped English-language programs of the same nature, including the words "pinche" ("f*cking" in English) and "culero" ("assf*cker"), anti-gay language, including epithets such as ""maricón," "joto" and "puñal" (or "f*ggot"), and anti-Latino slurs, such as "mojado" ("wetback"). The program frequently featured blatant nudity and female guests have been shown in violent fights. Hypersexualized images of women's breasts and genitals while stripping for male guests and audience members also make up routine offerings. Guests and audience members were often incited to engage in verbal and even physical attacks, especially against people perceived to be LGBT. Many episodes showed the audience standing and shouting anti-gay epithets and profanity at guests.

An online public petition to the FCC has also been launched. The below clip is very NSFW.

FCC Approves Comcast-Universal Merger

CNN is reporting today that the FCC has approved the merger between cable giant Comcast and NBC-Universal. CNET explains:

The $37 billion merger between the companies has been a long time coming. The deal, which was first announced in 2009, provides Comcast with a 51 percent controlling stake in NBC Universal. General Electric will retain the remaining 49 percent. When the deal was first announced, the companies hoped to have it accepted by regulatory bodies at the end of 2010. However, over the course of the last year, the companies faced increasing concerns that their merger might unfairly impact competing content providers and harm consumers. The Department of Justice, which is also evaluating the merger with regard to antitrust rules, is also expected to vote to approve the joint venture. Both the Justice Department and that FCC stamps of approval are needed before the deal to form the joint venture can close.

The merger has been a subject of relentless lampooning on NBC's 30 Rock, where the acquiring company is called Kabletown.

Concerned Women Are Concernstipated About Potty Mouths On Television

Quote Of The Day - Melissa Henson

"It seems to us that this panel of three judges walked into the courtroom with their minds already made up and with kind of a chip on their shoulder about the whole enforcement regime of the Federal Communications Commission and that they did not look at the facts of the case objectively.

"The judges basically overturned the will of the American people, the laws of the land, and even a decision of the Supreme Court. If this ruling is allowed to stand, it will basically open the floodgate for non-stop 'f-words' and 's-words,' nudity, profanity [and] graphic violence throughout the day -- regardless of venue, regardless of whether or not there are children in the viewing audience." - Melissa Henson, spokesnudge for the Christianist-run Parents Television Council, responding to yesterday's overturning of the FCC's rules on potty language.

Federal Appeals Court Strikes Down FCC's Indecency Rules On Potty Language

Saying it could have a "chilling effect" on freedom of speech, today a federal appeals court struck down the FCC's policies about language indecency. Interestingly, the ruling came not in a case involving Howard Stern or other radio shock jocks.

The ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in New York arose from a case over Bono, frontman of the rock group U2, who used an expletive when he received an award during the live broadcast of the 2003 Golden Globe Awards. News Corp's Fox Television, CBS Corp's CBS Broadcasting and others sued the FCC, which regulates radio, television, wire, satellite and cable communications. An FCC representative could not immediately be reached for comment on the ruling. The court heard the case again after the U.S. Supreme Court sent it back following a previous ruling that the FCC indecency policy was "arbitrary and capricious." "We now hold that the FCC's policy violates the First Amendment because it is unconstitutionally vague, creating a chilling effect that goes far beyond the fleeting expletives at issue here," the panel of appeals court judges said in a written ruling on Tuesday. The court granted the broadcaster's request for review of the policy. A Fox spokesman said the broadcaster was extremely pleased with the decision.

Stand by the Concerned Women to get all concernified!

(Tipped by JMG reader BK)

Appeals Court Overturns Net Neutrality

In a decision that may have far-reaching impact on how you view streaming internet video, today a U.S. Appeals Court overturned the FCC's ruling that internet providers must provide equal access to all information on their networks.

The court's ruling also could pose legal problems for the FCC as it seeks to enact the expansive National Broadband Policy it unveiled last month. A spokesman for Genachowski would not say what the next steps would be for the FCC as advisors reviewed the court's 36-page decision. Among the options would be to appeal the ruling, seek direct authority from Congress to regulate broadband or have the commission attempt to classify high-speed Internet service under existing law so it would be subject to the same type of regulation as telephone service. "The FCC is firmly committed to promoting an open Internet and to policies that will bring the enormous benefits of broadband to all Americans," said FCC spokeswoman Jen Howard. "It will rest these policies -- all of which will be designed to foster innovation and investment while protecting and empowering consumers -- on a solid legal foundation."

The huge winner in the case is Comcast, which has been accused of throttling (slowing down) the internet speeds of heavy-use customers and of planning to cripple the viewing quality of streaming video sites that compete with their own. Comcast contends that the FCC has no right to tell them how to handle traffic on their own system.