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PTC Files Complaint Seeking Fines Over NASCAR Broadcast

Oct 18, 2004  •  Post A Comment

The watchdog Parents Television Council announced today that it has filed an indecency complaint asking the Federal Communications Commission to fine NBC and all company affiliates that carried the network’s Oct. 3 NASCAR coverage that included Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s use of the S-word on air.

After the Earnhardt incident, NBC announced that future NASCAR coverage would be subject to a five-second tape delay, the PTC said. “But frankly,” said Brent Bozell, PTC president, in a statement, “NBC should have taken this action long before the Earnhardt incident, especially given NBC’s past problems with indecent language during live broadcasts, including Bono’s utterance of the F-word during the 2003 Golden Globe awards.

“We are demanding that the FCC impose the maximum fine allowable under the law against every NBC affiliate that aired this offense,” Mr. Bozell said. “We further demand that the FCC consider license revocation as a real option, given the repetitive nature of these offenses.” NBC declined comment on the complaint.

The FCC last week announced fines against Fox Broadcasting Co. and its affiliates totaling a record $1.183 million for allegedly indecent material on the reality show “Married by America,” which was also the subject of a PTC complaint.