All posts containing the tag: "fcc"
Posted Jul 28th 2009 12:23PM by TMZ Staff
A live interview with Joan Rivers went horribly wrong on "Good Day Sacramento" this morning -- after a reporter pissed off the comic so much, that she killed the segment and dropped the F-Bomb on LIVE TV!!
It all went down after one of the reporters tried to crack a joke about Joan's daughter -- but Rivers wasn't laughing.
Instead, she cussed the guy out until the people at the show cut off her mic ... too little too late.
Filed under: Wacky & Weird
Tags: censor, f-bomb, fcc, good day sacramento, GoodDaySacramento, joan rivers, JoanRivers, swear
Posted Jan 9th 2007 3:07PM by TMZ Staff
After what seems like years of rampant speculation, the Apple branded iPhone has finally seen the light of day. During the annual Macworld convention keynote speech, Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced the elusive device.
Utilizing multi-touch technology on a widescreen device, the phone went beyond even the most outrageous conjecture about its features. The phone has leapfrogged the competition with its seamless integration of iPod and phone with video capabilities, internet connection and incredible multi-touch-screen technology.
Play music, watch videos, email photos, surf the web, utilize widgets, conference call and send text messages using the onscreen touch keyboard. The list of capabilities goes on and on. All of wrapped in Apple's easy to use OS X operating system, which has been scaled down for the phone.
Apple has partnered exclusively with Cingular for the device. Pending FCC review, the phone is set to hit the streets in June with a price tag of $499 for the 4GB model and $599 for the 8GB model. No word on whether the phone will be eligible for price reductions based on your contract length.
You have six months to save up the cash and to dump your current provider.
Filed under: Celebritoyz
Tags: apple, cell phone, CellPhone, cingular, device, fcc, gadgets, iphone, june, keynote, macworld, multi-touch, os x, OsX, released, touch screen, TouchScreen, widescreen, widgets
Posted Oct 4th 2006 1:23PM by TMZ Staff
First of all, apologies, dear City of Industry readers: We've been gone since Friday, thanks to Yom Kippur and a family health emergency.
While we were gone, something quite interesting happened: Hollywood's serfs, bondsmen and chattel actually spoke out against their corporate slaveholders. Shockingly enough, Washington heard them.
As CNET reports today, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin and all five commissioners traveled to L.A.for hearings with independent media producers, artists and the conglomerates.
What the commissioners heard was alarming:
"Ray" director Taylor Hackford, also a VP at the Directors Guild of America, explained that independently produced television shows are on the verge of extinction as TV networks continue to gulp down media production houses.
As CNET relates,
"He said that in 1993, about 66 percent of network television programs came from independent producers, while the remaining 44 percent were produced by the networks. Thirteen years later in 2006, independent producers account for only 22 percent of television shows aired on the network, and 76 percent of programming comes from the networks, he said."
Simply put, the consolidation is killing creativity.
As
Variety noted, Stephen J. Cannell, the creator of "The A Team" and "The Rockford Files" opened with a damning commentary on the practical effects of such a lack of ownership biodiversity.
"Cannell opened the comment period by stressing that previous easing of...ownership rules has stripped indie producers of the ability to protect content since they can no longer move from one network to another. After the...rules were scrapped, he said, CBS refused to air a pilot he had produced with George C. Scott unless it could obtain Cannell's financial interest."
What's interesting is the lack of
agents present at the hearings; if Washington is truly interested in hearing the effects of consolidation on deal-making, they ought to subpoena Richard Lovett from Creative Artists Agency, or Jim Wiatt at William Morris. That's when we'll all be in for some
real entertainment.
Filed under: City Of Industry
Tags: CNET, FCC, Stephen J Cannell, StephenJCannell
Posted Feb 1st 2006 2:01PM by TMZ Staff
The producer of a primetime reality show recently wanted to show a revealing shot of a contestant, a studio exec recalls. The exec, who did not want to be identified, told TMZ he gave the producer his standard reply: "What's the risk/reward ratio?" In other words, he explains, "is the sexy shot worth the risk of the station being fined or the show being canceled?"
The fact is, Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction two years ago has had a profound impact on television. The studio exec says that since Miss Jackson's incident, "We've gotten calls from stations threatening to pull shows if we don't do a perfect job of policing."
With station licenses at risk, every decision near the fine line between good TV and bad taste is now scrutinized. After fining Viacom $550,000 for the Janet Jackson incident, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) went on a tear. In 2004, the FCC nailed stations with fines exceeding $7.7 million. Just four years before, the grand total was only $48,000 in fines.
Stations got the message loud and clear. Pamela Anderson's pole dance on NBC's Elton John special never saw air. Paris Hilton's racy Carl's Jr. ad was pulled shortly after it began airing. And Mischa Barton's partially-explosed nipple on 'The O.C.' caused quite the stir.
Click here... it's not over yet
Filed under: TV, The Biz, Janet Jackson
Tags: FCC, Fear Factor, FearFactor, Janet jackson, JanetJackson, Superbowl
