RE: Marshfield cable TV controversy

[Bob Nelson <raccoonradio@yahoo.com>]

> I missed the beginning of this discussion.  Is there
> an archive of all BRI 
> emails I can go to to get up to speed?  

http://www.bostonradio.org (link at bottom). Here is
my first post about it, so you can see what I was
bringing up: 

Any thoughts on the cable TV controversy in
Marshfield, MA? It's been mentioned on Ch. 7 and New
England Cable News, among other places. 

Turns out that public access cable there has a program
called "The Ryan Doherty Show". Among other things, it
had a comedy sketch "advertising" a date-rape drug.
It's said that the show "makes (MTV's) 'Jackass'" seem
tame by comparison. Local residents are outraged. 

Apparently Marshfield's cable TV contract, with 
Adelphia, says that they might not be able to step in
on such a matter, feeling it's freedom of speech. (And
the host of the show feels that if you don't like what
he's saying, don't watch.) A clip about the
controversial show is at http://www.necn.com 

On the one hand, the cable company (which is said 
to be looking into the matter) may not be able 
to do anything about the show, because of the 
freedom of speech issue. On the other, one woman 
who appears on the NECN news clip, says she's totally
disgusted with the show and the fact that it basically
made humor out of a topic like date rape. 

(A writer of the show defends the sketch, saying that
maybe more people might be made aware of the date rape
drug after seeing the show. The NECN clip 
does not show the sketch, but part of the
controversial sketch was shown on Ch. 7's news. A
young girl appearing in the sketch consumes a drink
spiked with the date rape drug and falls under its
influence, etc. All played for laughs.) 

Kind of a tough call-- should such a show stay on 
because we have freedom of speech, or should 
"community standards" prevail?