Today, we received the following e-mail from director Jonathan Robinson of When in Doubt Productions, whose film
Every Child is Born a Poet: The Life and Work of Piri Thomas is scheduled to air on the PBS series Independent Lens on April 6 at 10 p.m. and April 9 at 12:30 a.m.:
"The FCC has made some sweeping changes in the past few weeks regarding language on television. There has been a rapid transformation in policy in the wake of Bono saying "fuck" on the Golden Globes and Janet Jackson exposing her nipple during the Super Bowl. In short, language that used to be at the discretion of the broadcaster (i.e. station or network) is now at the discretion of the FCC. The FCC is now leveling fines of up to $250,000 against stations that do not comply with the new regulations approved by Congress.
"The independently-produced film
Every Child is Born a Poet: The Life and Work of Piri Thomas, scheduled to be broadcast on the national PBS series Independent Lens tomorrow night, April 6th at 10:00 p.m., is right smack in the middle of these new controversial policies.
Every Child... tells the story of renowned poet, writer, educator Piri Thomas. The film includes the author reading excerpts from, as well as dramatizations of selections from his classic autobiographical novel
Down These Mean Streets (1967).
"The book chronicles Thomas's coming-of-age in the 1930s, 1940s and '50s, his experiences as a teen gang member in East Harlem, as a junkie and an armed robber, and the six years he spent in prison, before becoming an educator and activist, pioneering gang violence prevention, drug rehabilitation and educational reform efforts in New York City in the 1960s and '70s.
"Following the issuance of the new FCC rules, PBS has been forced to edit out of
Every Child is Born a Poet 'obscene' words like 'fuck' and 'shit.' In fact, some PBS affiliate stations are requesting that additional words... not mandated by the FCC rules, be removed as well. At the time of its publication,
Down These Mean Streets was hailed for its unflinching description of ghetto life and racism in America, while decried by some for obscenity. [The book] was banned in a number of schools and libraries in the early 1970s, due to concerns about language. The 'offensive' language currently being censored by the government brings into question how the FCC rules effect not only freedom of speech, but artistic integrity, as well.
"In 1972, before the decision was overturned, the Supreme Court upheld a lower court's ruling to allow School District 25 in Flushing, Queens to ban
Down These Mean Streets from student libraries. In a dissenting opinion, Justice Potter Stewart and Justice William O. Douglas asked, 'Are we sending children to school to be educated by the norms of the school board or are we educating our youth to shed the prejudices of the past, to explore all forms of thought, and to find solutions to our world's problems?'
"The new FCC rules effect content involving 'offensive' language and sexuality, but do not touch upon violence. Before the new regulations went into effect, the FCC went as far as to try to mandate that broadcasters pixilate the mouths of individuals speaking offensive words, but backed off before Congress gave its approval. Major networks and cable programmers may be willing to test or openly flaunt the new rules, but PBS stations, already struggling with limited resources and annual budget re-authorization hearings in Congress, are unwilling to take on the challenges to freedom of speech and expression.
"The series Independent Lens is a co-presentation of
The Independent Television Service (ITVS) and PBS. The Mission Statement for ITVS is as follows:
" 'The Independent Television Service (ITVS) brings to local, national and international audiences high-quality, content-rich programs created by a diverse body of independent producers. ITVS programs take creative risks, explore complex issues, and express points of view seldom seen on commercial or public television. ITVS programming reflects voices and visions of underrepresented communities and addresses the needs of underserved audiences, particularly minorities and children.
" 'In an era that encompasses both the explosion of commercial information enterprises and a consolidation of media empires, the role of public sector media becomes critical to a free, open, and informed society. ITVS holds the following values as essential to carrying out the organization's work:
Freedom of expression is a human right.
A free press and public access to information are foundations of democracy.
An open society allows unpopular and minority views to be publicly aired.
A civilized society seeks economic and social justice.
A just society seeks participation from those without power, prominence, or wealth.
A free nation allows all citizens forums in which they can tell their own stories and express their own opinions.' "
# posted by Steve Gallagher @ 4/05/2004 06:43:00 PM
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