Indecency law threatens PBS

PASADENA, Calif. - "The culture war over indecency that boiled over after Janet Jackson's Super Bowl peep show more than two years ago is poised to claim its first casualty: staid, sober PBS.

"This is not just about Janet Jackson," said Paula Kerger, president of PBS. "This is a tremendously important issue. It is an issue of free speech. It is an issue because our filmmakers deserve to be able to tell their stories and tell them well."

And one of PBS' most prolific producers, Ken Burns, the auteur of groundbreaking series including "Jazz," "Baseball" and "The Civil War," is concerned that his upcoming documentary about World War II could be a target.

"I know that there are people that are sensitive about language," said Kerger. "And they should have the opportunity not to watch something if it's going to be troubling. But for others to be able to see a documentary and to be able to let a person tell their own story and not censor the words that are coming out of their mouth is tremendously important."

Oh for the love of Pete. Must we solve all of the Loon problems? Make your bad little film, then bleep out the words some folks might find offensive. In the markets that would ask for such. You regularly tailor different presentations for different audiences so what's the big deal? And uhhuh, you should shave with a moistened face using short strokes, and never slap a grown man in the mouth when he's chewing tobacco.

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