ABC draws heavy FCC indecency fine
The Federal Communications Commission issued a $1.43 million indecency fine against 52 ABC affiliates Jan. 25 for airing nudity during an episode of “NYPD Blue” in 2003, marking the second-largest indecency fine ever proposed for a television broadcaster. Though ABC has said it will appeal the ruling, The Wall Street Journal said the fine is “notable for its size and because it could signal the beginning of a new round of indecency fines that may soon emanate from the agency.” FCC commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate said in a statement, “Our action today should serve as a reminder to all broadcasters that Congress and American families continue to be concerned about protecting children from harmful material, and that the FCC will enforce the laws of the land vigilantly.”
Grassroots effort turns back gambling
A Southern Baptist pastor and Sunday school teacher are credited with launching a grassroots effort to turn back plans for a horseracing track that ultimately would have brought the gambling industry to their community. George Smith, pastor of First Baptist Church in Lloyd, Fla., about 20 miles east of Tallahassee, and David Hall, a Sunday school teacher at First Baptist, were up against what Smith called “some great odds” and powerful pro-gambling lawyers. But the Jefferson County commissioners voted 4-1 after a public hearing to deny a permit for the development of a quarter-horse racetrack on a 117-acre plot of land along Interstate 10.
ESPN anchor suspended for remarks
A profanity-laced tirade earned ESPN anchor Dana Jacobson a weeklong suspension from her duties with the sports network. According to various reports, an intoxicated Jacobson reportedly hurled a string of insults aimed at Notre Dame, Touchdown Jesus and Jesus Christ himself during a Jan. 11 roast in Atlantic City, N.J., for ESPN’s Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic, of the ESPN radio show “Mike and Mike in the Morning.” The Chicago Tribune reported that ESPN suspended Jacobson for a week. Jacobson, co-host of the ESPN2 show “First Take,” has issued an apology.
Slot machines pull 63% of Miami vote
Voters in Miami-Dade County approved the first-ever installation of Las Vegas-style slot machines in the jurisdiction Jan. 29, awarding gambling promoters 63 percent of the vote. Under the measure, three facilities – Flagler Dog Track, Calder Race Course and Miami Jai-Alai – each can install up to 2,000 slot machines. In 2005, 52 percent of Miami-Dade voters turned down a similar measure, while slot machines tallied a 57 percent victory in adjacent Broward County encompassing Fort Lauderdale. With the Seminole Tribe also offering gambling in the region, the Miami Herald described the Jan. 29 vote as “perhaps pushing South Florida closer to a future as a gambling destination.” Miami Baptists, former Gov. Jeb Bush and former U.S. Sen. Bob Graham also were part of the slots opposition, the Florida Baptist Witness newspaper had reported.