CBS
Hit With $550K Fine for Janet Jackson Breast Stunt
09-22-04
.
(antiMUSIC) 20 CBS stations have been hit
with a combined $550,000 fine for Janet Jackson's Super Bowl halftime nipple
flash. The pop singer bared her breast during the finale of her special
halftime performance. Now the CBS stations will have to pay the price.
Only the stations directly owned by CBS
were fined by the Federal Communications Commission. The 200-plus affiliates
escaped the $27,500 that the 20 CBS owned stations have been ordered to
pay. CBS is owned by Viacom Inc., which also owns MTV networks which
produced the halftime special.
The incident took place during the finale
of Janet Jackson's performance. Jackson was performing a duet with pop
singer Justin Timberlake for the televised halftime special and as they
were concluding the song Timberlake ripped part of Jackson's blouse off,
revealing her bare breast. Timberlake joked after the incident that
it was a "wardrobe malfunction".
The FCC determined that the CBS stations
violated federal law by airing indecent material. The agency handed
down the maximum fine against the CBS stations. According to the current
law, the FCC can only fine a station up to $27,500 per incident but members
of Congress are looking at new legislation which would increate the maximum
to $500,000.
The FCC decided to let the affiliates off
the hook because they were not involved in the planning, selection or approval
of the Super Bowl halftime special.
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