It’s certainly appropriate that the Phillies’ long-awaited championship could somehow draw the ire of a federal agency, thanks to Chase “World Fucking Champions” Utley. From the Philadelphia Inquirer:
The FCC reports it received 26 complaints from the public about Utley’s language, which was heard live, in the late afternoon, on at least five television stations and one radio station, KYW (1060). Nielsen Media Research estimated that more than 825,000 local viewers saw part of the parade on CBS3, 6ABC, NBC10, Fox29, or Comcast SportsNet….
The complaints – copies of which were requested by The Inquirer under the Freedom of Information Act – assign equal blame to Utley and the stations. The identities of the complainants were redacted.
“If they didn’t want such words to be broadcast, they should have aired [it] on a delay to catch any obscene language,” wrote a viewer from Philadelphia. “Pull their license to broadcast.”
Another viewer wrote: “He should be disciplined for his lack of respect towards his fans and in particular the children exposed to such vulgarity. . . . The broadcasters are not at fault. Chase Utley is.”
Another: “This was not a casual slip. This was an intentional misuse and abuse of the public airwaves. . . . How am I to explain such profanity to my child?”
(The above, one might conjecture, is from NHL boss Gary Bettman)
A radio listener who wrote, “I heard it here in Camden,” said: “That sort of language is no big deal. . . except that Howard Stern was driven off free radio by you, the FCC, because of content and bad words and the like. It’s only fair that broadcasters be held to the same standards. . . . Fine KYW as much as you are legally allowed to fine them! . . . Lord knows the US Treasury could use the money.”
To which he no doubt added, “Baba Booey.”
Really, 26 complaints is peanuts – I guess the PTC just doesn’t have much of a membership in Philadephia. And it seems a shame this incident was too late to be part of the Supreme Court case on “fleeting expletives.” I would have loved to hear what Sam Alito had to say.