An On-Air Chill

The almost-anything-goes world of shock-jock radio has turned upside down since Janet Jackson’s infamous “wardrobe malfunction” during the Super Bowl halftime show. Since that fleeting glimpse of Jackson’s mostly obscured anatomy, the Federal Communications Commission has issued more than $1.5 million in fines. Moreover, with the U.S. House of Representatives recently passing a bill allowing fines of $500,000 for each instance of radio ‘indecency,’ with the White House voicing support and the U.S. Senate considering even more draconian measures, the climate for provocative speech on America’s radio airwaves has changed dramatically and swiftly.”