American commercial broadcasting, television and AM and FM radio, is in the middle of a big squeeze that threatens its future. On one side are the pay technologies of cable and satellite TV and radio. On the other, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and its anti-indecency campaign of million-dollar fines. Cable TV has already loosened up and sexualized free broadcast TV. Likewise, radio satcasting, with its hundreds of CD-quality, usually commercial-free and always censorship free pay channels, will change terrestrial radio. The FCC's heavy fines already have made radio and TV stations cut back on content. Shock jock Howard Stern, whose stations have paid some $2 million in fines, complains his show doesn't make sense anymore because of all the bleeps — not of dirty words but of sexual ideas. He's so fed up, he's giving up his highly remunerative broadcasting career to try satcasting in 2006 on the Sirius Satellite Radio network.
展开▼
