Broadcaster Fined $357,000 Over Sex Contest

Reuters ^ | Thu October 2, 2003 03:29 PM ET | By Jeremy Pelofsky

[kingu]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A radio contest challenging listeners to have sex in public places for a free trip to Boston's Sam Adams Brewery has won the broadcasters a $357,500 fine, federal regulators said on Thursday.

The Federal Communications Commission proposed the fine after ruling that 13 stations owned by a Viacom Inc. unit violated federal indecency standards when they aired, on Aug. 15, 2002, the "Opie & Anthony Show," which ran the contest.

The show was canceled almost immediately after the contest aired, which included broadcasts of five couples purportedly having sex and descriptions of other sexually explicit activity in famous New York locales like St. Patrick's Cathedral and Rockefeller Center.

[kingu]

I hope that the loss of advertising revenue was much higher than this slap...

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[Billthedrill]

Clinton's gonna be awfully disappointed...

[Timesink]

Opie & Anthony was cancelled not long after this stunt, and their home station, already a financial and ratings disaster (except for O&A), changed formats. This is just tying up loose ends.

[Mixer]

Bump for later reading

[FreePaul]

...violated federal indecency standards...

I'd like to see these standards published. Might make interesting reading.

[kingu]

I'd like to see these standards published. Might make interesting reading.

The article gives an outline of those standards, though now that you've mentioned it, I'm going to go browse the FCC website to see what the full text is.

[Bringbackthedraft]

2 words, "Howard Stern"!

[firebrand]

The lone dissenter was right: Shut them down.

[My2Cents]

Declare them the winners of the contest! Opie and Anthony clearly screwed themselves.

[anniegetyourgun]

Very pleased to see this.

[Servant of the 9]

Wow, 375 Large, and Opie and Anthony didn't even get laid.

So9

[GirlShortstop]

which included broadcasts of five couples purportedly having sex and descriptions of other sexually explicit activity in famous New York locales like St. Patrick's Cathedral

I read here on FR this a.m. that the dude involved in "the act" had died of a heart attack.  Things that make ya go hmmmmm....
Man Dies Before Cathedral Sex Court Date

[presidio9]

Are you kidding? The station has been GUTTED.

Good.

[IncPen]

Don't forget, the owner of Sam Adams Brewery, Jim Koch, was in the studio during the church sex stunt, laughing and providing a running commentary. Sam Adams sponsored Opie and Anthony.

At the time I sent him an email vowing that unless he repudiated his- and Opie and Anthony's actions, I'd never allow Sam Adams in my house again.

He didn't, and I haven't.

[Libertina]

ROTFLOL

[Flying Circus]

I am right there with you. After I heard about Jim Koch's willing complicity and excusing of the cathedral stunt I quit drinking Sam Adams. I really liked the beer too, but I could never like it enough to excuse Koch's trivializing the desecration of St. Patricks Cathedral.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Another of like mind my friend....... no SA here either......

[Cagey]

Well, there's a handful of us here. Sam Adams was one of my favorite beers but it's very easy to pass on it and pick up a six of something else.