CBS is planning to air the documentary "9/11" on September 10.
For those who haven’t seen it (I have), it’s a documentary about a rookie fireman. Or, at least, that’s what it started to be. The two documentarians, a couple of French brothers, were following the story of a rookie fireman in his new ladder company in lower Manhattan. You know the famous footage of the first plane crashing into the WTC? That was shot by the makers of this documentary.
What most people don’t know is that, on that fateful day, the filmmakers went into the World Trade Center when the firemen responded. It is the only footage from inside the World Trade Center on that day.
It is gripping and gritty, as you might expect.
It also contains a lot of foul language. "Holy shit" was the phrase of the day, and it is said a lot.
Enter the American Family Association, who wants to sanitize what happened:
CBS To Air Profanity-Laden Program
It is time to tell CBS and the other networks that enough is enough!.
Not content with all the profanity already on TV, CBS has decided to air the profanity-laden unedited version of "9/11" on Sept. 10. The decision by CBS is a slap in the face to the FCC and Congress, which recently raised indecency fines to $325,000 per incident.
"9/11," which will be shown in prime-time, contains a tremendous amount of hardcore profanity. CBS has stated they have not, and will not, make any cuts in the amount and degree of profanity. CBS will ignore the law. The network is suing the FCC over the indecency law, saying they should be able to show whatever they desire whenever they desire. CBS wants no limits.
This is a test case for CBS to see how far they can go. If there is no out-pouring of complaints from the public, they will go further the next time.
The profanity is so bad that CBS has warned their affiliates that they could be subject to huge fines. The FCC says it will fine not only the networks, but also affiliates if the law is violated. Under the new Broadcast Decency Act the $325,000 per incident could run into millions of dollars not only for the network but also for local affiliates.
CBS could very easily bleep out the profanity, but they refuse. The goal of CBS is to be able to show whatever they want at anytime. The network wants no restraints on their programming. If they are allowed to get away with this, they will simply air even more profanity in the future.
You know what, AMA? This is history. If you can’t handle ugly reality, including the fact that some people say "Holy Shit" when skyscrapers collapse, maybe you should just rent "Cars" or turn to the Disney Channel.