hellziggy

*AHEM* Back on topic: I don't think it's anything that sinister. In the case of an FCC investigation, ABC would most likely get fined, they would force JK's writers/publicist to issue a public retraction/apology and the censors would be sacked. The reason that Howard and that other DJ were responded to with such heavy-handedness is that they are regarded as "loose cannons" by the powers that be since they aren't subject to any sort of censorship or even arbitrary "age-appropriate programming hours" that the TV companies have imposed on themselves. Were "shock jocks" to self-edit or broadcast at "adult-content appropriate" times, they would have little trouble with any regulatory agency. Conversely, they would get a fraction of the attention they do now and there would be little interest in listening to their bleep-heavy content. Go figure.