KITV won't run "Saving Private Ryan" on Veterans' Day

[Linkmeister]

This just astonishes me. The station announced, with a brief interview with the station manager, that the network presentation of the film won't be aired tomorrow night. Stated reason? Profanity. KITV is concerned about its license, the manager said.

Now, I suspect that this movie has been bowdlerized for network television already, so very few of the "F" words that the manager says he's concerned about will be audible, and I don't know how much of it will air during "prime time," but this is just spooky. Given that the first twenty minutes of the film is as gory as anything I've seen since Peckinpah's "The Wild Bunch," I could almost see refusing on those grounds, but on language? With all the other content out there which contains those words for effect, rather than a (fairly) true reflection of wartime stress?

Good grief.

[pzarquon]

Re: KITV won't run "Saving Private Ryan" on Veterans' Day

Egads. Chilling effects indeed. Here's KITV's online story. Here's the New York Times report - our little KITV isn't alone in its cold feet:

More than 20 ABC affiliates have announced that they will not participate in the network's Veterans Day broadcast of "Saving Private Ryan," saying its violence and language could draw sanctions from the Federal Communications Commission. The Steven Spielberg film, which includes profanity and a violent depiction of the D-Day invasion, ran uncut on ABC with relatively little controversy in 2001 and 2002.

What the heck is different about this year? What a difference a nipple makes.

Seriously. A stupid boob flashing her breast at a football game should not be put on the same level as a serious war drama on Veteran's Day.

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: KITV won't run "Saving Private Ryan" on Veterans' Day

Considering that Veterans Day was originally called Armistice Day, intended to commemorate the end of hostilities in World War I, instead of watching the WWII film Saving Private Ryan perhaps you could curl up with that warm and fuzzy injured-WWI-vet book, Dalton Trumbo's Johnny Got His Gun. There was a 1971 movie version, too. Recommended.

[Linkmeister]

Re: KITV won't run "Saving Private Ryan" on Veterans' Day

Considering that Veterans Day was originally called Armistice Day, intended to commemorate the end of hostilities in World War I, instead of watching the WWII film Saving Private Ryan perhaps you could curl up with that warm and fuzzy injured-WWI-vet book, Dalton Trumbo's Johnny Got His Gun. There was a 1971 movie version, too. Recommended.

That book is the best anti-war novel ever written, in my opinion.

[Linkmeister]

Re: KITV won't run "Saving Private Ryan" on Veterans' Day

Egads. Chilling effects indeed. Here's KITV's online story. Here's the New York Times report - our little KITV isn't alone in its cold feet:
What the heck is different about this year? What a difference a nipple makes.

Seriously. A stupid boob flashing her breast at a football game should not be put on the same level as a serious war drama on Veteran's Day.

From the KITV story:

Instead of "Saving Private Ryan," KITV will air "Far and Away," starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.

Oh, right. Well, it could have been "Eyes Wide Shut."

[bcr1652]

Re: KITV won't run "Saving Private Ryan" on Veterans' Day

I thought KITV or one of the other local stations in the past have aired "Saving Private Ryan" before... or was it just on cable???

[mel]

Re: KITV won't run "Saving Private Ryan" on Veterans' Day

I have to take the side of the TV station. Given that CBS was fined $500,000 by the FCC and individual CBS affiliates being slapped with a $27,000 fine for the Janet Jackson incident, I cannot blame KITV for being prudent and pulling this movie. It's a matter of money and the station's possible survival. If you faced a possible threat of losing your operating license, you'd do the same thing.

Saving Private Ryan is what... a 4 year old movie and has long been available to the public for viewing on premium cable as well as DVD and VHS. I applaud KITV's decision.

[pzarquon]

Re: KITV won't run "Saving Private Ryan" on Veterans' Day

I thought the flap over the nipple was ridiculous, but can definitely wholeheartedly state that "Saving Private Ryan" shouldn't even rate, comparatively. After all, the FCC famously also ruled that saying the word "f--king" was fine during a live broadcast of the Golden Globe awards because Bono used it "as an adjective or expletive to emphasize an exclamation" and not "to describe or depict sexual and excretory organs and activities."

IMHO, there's nothing frivolous, gratuitous or exploitive in the use of language and violence in "Saving Private Ryan." And what little there would be has already been edited out.

Further, FCC actions generally require complaints, and in a past complaint about "Saving Private Ryan" the FCC dismissed the case. The precedent should be clear.

Part of me really wants to think that this decision on the part of a couple dozen affiliates nationwide is actually a political statement, or a cry for relief, because of other, more real clamp-downs on broadcasts. Sadly, I'm pretty sure they're earnestly scared, and I think that's sad.

[mel]

Re: KITV won't run "Saving Private Ryan" on Veterans' Day

I thought the flap over the nipple was ridiculous, but can definitely wholeheartedly state that "Saving Private Ryan" shouldn't even rate, comparatively. After all, the FCC famously also ruled that saying the word "f--king" was fine during a live broadcast of the Golden Globe awards because Bono used it "as an adjective or expletive to emphasize an exclamation" and not "to describe or depict sexual and excretory organs and activities."

According to Erika Engle's article in today's Star Bulletin, the ruling in Bono's favor was overturned:

The commission once ruled that singer Bono's utterance of the F-word during an awards program was not offensive. The commission later reversed its ruling amid pressure from several watchdog groups, deeming any use of the word offensive.

IMHO, there's nothing frivolous, gratuitous or exploitive in the use of language and violence in "Saving Private Ryan." And what little there would be has already been edited out.

Well I think the station is just being prudent because of the flap with CBS and Janet Jackson. The movie has been shown before, but the climate has changed. Also noted is the fact that the F word is uttered 47 times in the movie.

Part of me really wants to think that this decision on the part of a couple dozen affiliates nationwide is actually a political statement, or a cry for relief, because of other, more real clamp-downs on broadcasts. Sadly, I'm pretty sure they're earnestly scared, and I think that's sad.

It may be a political statement, but I haven't heard KITV's Mike Rosenberg state this. The movie aired on KITV a few times according to the article. So it cannot be an anti-war statement or anything like that. Just purely a business decision IMO. If it was some kind of protest, they and the other affiliates would have said so. I don't think any TV station wants to alienate America's Veterans who are probably a significant chunk of the viewing audience.

Prudence yes, fear more than likely, protest statement, not really.

[pzarquon]

Re: KITV won't run "Saving Private Ryan" on Veterans' Day

The ruling in Bono's favor was overturned

True, furthering the "times have changed" case. At the time, though, I thought the very academic parsing of the f-word as adjective versus verb was pretty entertaining, coming from a federal office.

Also noted is the fact that the F word is uttered 47 times in the movie.

Aren't "bad words" muted out or dubbed over, in any case? I think it's the depiction of violence that probably scares the affiliates more.

The movie aired on KITV a few times according to the article. So it cannot be an anti-war statement or anything like that.

Well, by political statement, I meant more against the more prudish climate at the FCC rather than against the war. I'm not a veteran, but I don't think "Saving Private Ryan" can be construed as anti-war. It's realistic, but respectful and ultimately a heroic drama.

Then again, I was surprised that a simple reading of lost lives in Iraq was perceived as anti-war. I suppose one can see an agenda anywhere if one looks hard enough.

[mel]

Re: KITV won't run "Saving Private Ryan" on Veterans' Day

Aren't "bad words" muted out or dubbed over, in any case? I think it's the depiction of violence that probably scares the affiliates more.

I think ABC was planning to air an un-edited version of the movie.

Well, by political statement, I meant more against the more prudish climate at the FCC rather than against the war. I'm not a veteran, but I don't think "Saving Private Ryan" can be construed as anti-war. It's realistic, but respectful and ultimately a heroic drama.

Probably so, but no one is officially saying anything. I have no problem with the movie myself. But since I already seen it on DVD, its like why bother watching it on regular TV.

[Ninja]

Re: KITV won't run "Saving Private Ryan" on Veterans' Day

There are signifigant differences in ABC airing "Saving Private Ryan" and the other incidents that stations including KITV are using for not airing the movie.

First, ABC has twice aired this movie, uncut and unedited due to contractual obligations from Steven Spielberg. This is also why ABC can't(won't) air an edited version for those stations that "fear" fines from the FCC. BTW, NBC has also aired "Schindler's List" uncut and unedited, and that movie features full frontal nudity and the FCC took no action against NBC or the affiliates.

Secondly, ABC desiganted the "TV-MA" rating for this movie plus "Strong Viewers Discretion Advised" messages at the beginning of the movie in addition to the 3 commercial breaks in the movie. This is also a movie vitrually everyone has seen either in a theater, cable and on ABC, so no one should be upset or suprised by the language or the violence in the movie. In the SuperBowl Halftime, which since was a live program was unrated, no one watching knew that Janet Jackson was going to expose her breast, hense the uproar. Ditto to Bono's F-Bomb.

Rather than a CYA move by KITV and the other ABC stations that are not airing "Saving Private Ryan", it's more an act of cowardence IMO.