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Artist Sues FCC Over 'Indecency Ban'
Performing Artist Sarah Jones is suing the FCC over its 'Indecency Ban' on her song "Your Revolution"
<img src="http://portland.indymedia.org/local/images/sarahjones200.jpg" border="0" align="left">
In May 2001, <a href="http://www.kboo.org" target="_blank">KBOO was fined $7000 for airing the song "Your Revolution" by Sarah Jones, an African American poet and singer. The FCC stated that the song was indecent, contained sexual references that did in fact, pander, and that the song should not have been aired before 10:00 pm. In July 2001 <a href="http://www.kboo.org" target="_blank">KBOO filed its appeal.
<p>At the end of January 2002, the artist, Sarah Jones, in an unusual response, has filed suit against the FCC claiming they have violated her free speech rights. Sarah Jones, asked for a judgment in federal district court in Manhattan that the 1999 song, "Your Revolution", is not indecent as the agency found; for an injunction preventing the commission from enforcing the $7,000 fine against <a href="http://www.kboo.org" target="_blank">KBOO; and for a finding that the commission's ruling violated her free-speech rights.
<p>Ms. Jones said she was surprised that her song was declared offensive because she wrote it as an attack on the degradation of women in mainstream hip-hop. "My name was hanging in the air with 'indecent' attached to it in this really problematic way, especially since my work is concerned with social justice and feminist issues," she said yesterday. "That it should be associated with sexual indecency and intending to shock is not something that I can just let sit there, partly in light of the fact that other material is played ad infinitum on mainstream radio airwaves that's really problematic. I'm not one for censorship, but let's not use a double standard that victimizes certain voices."
<p>[ <a href="http://portland.indymedia.org:8081/front.php3?article_id=6984&group=webcast" target="_blank">Read More on the Newswire | <a href="http://portland.indymedia.org:8081/front.php3?article_id=7631&group=webcast" target="_blank">Lyrics to "Your Revolution" | <a href="http://www.kboo.org/about/fcc.htm#case" target="_blank">More Info on KBOO | <a href="http://www.sarahjonesonline.com" target="_blank">Sarah Jones Website | <a href="http://www.yourrevolutionisbanned.com/" target="_blank">Your Revolution Is Banned Website
In May 2001, <a href="http://www.kboo.org" target="_blank">KBOO was fined $7000 for airing the song "Your Revolution" by Sarah Jones, an African American poet and singer. The FCC stated that the song was indecent, contained sexual references that did in fact, pander, and that the song should not have been aired before 10:00 pm. In July 2001 <a href="http://www.kboo.org" target="_blank">KBOO filed its appeal.
<p>At the end of January 2002, the artist, Sarah Jones, in an unusual response, has filed suit against the FCC claiming they have violated her free speech rights. Sarah Jones, asked for a judgment in federal district court in Manhattan that the 1999 song, "Your Revolution", is not indecent as the agency found; for an injunction preventing the commission from enforcing the $7,000 fine against <a href="http://www.kboo.org" target="_blank">KBOO; and for a finding that the commission's ruling violated her free-speech rights.
<p>Ms. Jones said she was surprised that her song was declared offensive because she wrote it as an attack on the degradation of women in mainstream hip-hop. "My name was hanging in the air with 'indecent' attached to it in this really problematic way, especially since my work is concerned with social justice and feminist issues," she said yesterday. "That it should be associated with sexual indecency and intending to shock is not something that I can just let sit there, partly in light of the fact that other material is played ad infinitum on mainstream radio airwaves that's really problematic. I'm not one for censorship, but let's not use a double standard that victimizes certain voices."
<p>[ <a href="http://portland.indymedia.org:8081/front.php3?article_id=6984&group=webcast" target="_blank">Read More on the Newswire | <a href="http://portland.indymedia.org:8081/front.php3?article_id=7631&group=webcast" target="_blank">Lyrics to "Your Revolution" | <a href="http://www.kboo.org/about/fcc.htm#case" target="_blank">More Info on KBOO | <a href="http://www.sarahjonesonline.com" target="_blank">Sarah Jones Website | <a href="http://www.yourrevolutionisbanned.com/" target="_blank">Your Revolution Is Banned Website
Add Your Comments
§For Once I Agree
I must say that most of the time I post on IndyMedia I am usually vehemently opposed to the original post, but not in this case. However, I am not sure if I am in agreement with her opinion that her free-speech right was violated for the same reason as everybody else. I just find it hypocritical that mass media (mtv, etc) LOVES the songs and artists she alludes to in The Revolution, and they do not get fined. Yet someone quoting and saying that the message portrayed in the above referenced songs is wrong, is penalized for obscenity. I guess if you sell a lot of records, or can create an alias name you are allowed to "corrupt" society with your filth? I cannot see any other logic behind this hypocrisy. IndyMedia is right, for once, but don't expect me to say that ever again!
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