Copyright 2000 Star Tribune
Star Tribune
(Minneapolis, MN)
December 23, 2000, Saturday, Metro Edition
SECTION: VARIETY; Pg. 10E
LENGTH: 737 words
HEADLINE:
The FCC hasn't a prayer of banning God from TV
BYLINE:
Noel Holston; Staff Writer
BODY:
News flashes,
random notes and stray thoughts from your friendly neighborhood TV critic's
notebook:
- I understand how some urban
myths get started. Alligators in the New York City sewers, for instance. It's
not true, but someone at some point indeed may have flushed a pet-shop gator
that got too big for its terrarium.
But one myth called to my attention
recently _ whoa, what a head-scratcher. I got an e-mail, accompanied by a
petition signed by more than 300 people, warning me that "CBS will be forced to
discontinue 'Touched By an Angel' for using the word God in every program."
The e-mail said that "Madeline Murray
O'Hare [sic], the atheist who managed to eliminate the use of Bible reading from
public schools," has persuaded the Federal Communications Commission to hear a
proposal to ban all mention of God and religion from the airwaves.
Apart from the fact that Madalyn Murray
O'Hair is believed to be dead, the rumor is beyond silly. The school-prayer
ruling, which the FCC had nothing to do with, is aimed at protecting captive
audiences from unwanted proselytizing. As long as TV sets have channel changers
and on-off buttons, no viewer is a captive.
Nonetheless, the rumor has persisted long
enough that the FCC actually has a page on its Web site devoted to denying
rumors about O'Hair and religious broadcasts. The FCC makes it clear that in
keeping with the First Amendment, it can no more muzzle "Touched By an Angel" or
televangelist Creflo A. Dollar Jr. than it can "Ally McBeal" writer David E.
Kelley.
- Speaking of the FCC, the
best-laid plans of its chairman, William Kennard, have crashed and burned.
Kennard had proposed licensing hundreds of 10- and 100-watt FM radio stations to
schools, churches and community groups. But entrenched broadcasters _ National
Public Radio and Minnesota Public Radio as well as commercial operators _
lobbied hard against the initiative, insisting that the micro-stations would
interfere with their signals and aggravate their listeners.
The big bullies won. President Clinton
signed budget legislation Thursday that included a provision that will all but
kill low-power FM's development.
That means that the Minnesota Literacy
Council won't get to use radio to teach Hmong immigrants English and read
stories to their kids. But look on the bright side. We'll be able to hear
20-year-old Tom Petty tunes on three, maybe four Twin Cities stations without
interference.
- Minnesota Public Radio has
discontinued "Dale Connelly Reporting," a droll take on current events featuring
humorist Connelly, half of its "Morning Show" team. Craig Curtis, MPR's vice
president for programming, said there'll be reruns this weekend and next with a
replacement, still to be chosen, scheduled to arrive in January.
"We had national aspirations for the
show," Curtis said. "Dale's a national-caliber talent. And we need more humor on
public radio."
But Curtis said it became
clear during Connelly's trial run that the show, as constituted, wasn't going to
get the necessary level of national carriage. Curtis said MPR wants to step back
and think about "other ways to use Dale's material."
- Alien abduction _ that's one explanation
for the deterioration of "The X-Files" this season. Maybe the same E.T.s that
nabbed Fox Mulder also decimated the series' creative staff. Either that or the
writers got production deals of their own and bailed, leaving poor Gillian
Anderson and poor, poor Robert Patrick, who's been saddled with the dullest FBI
character since Efrem Zimbaliist Jr., to struggle with clumsy dialogue that too
often states or restates the obvious.
-
Twin Cities resident Chris Ferch competes Sunday on "Battle Dome" (11 a.m.,
KMSP, Ch. 9), a syndicated series that's part WWF, part "American Gladiators."
- People keep calling to ask if Twin
Cities Public Televison is ever going to reinstate "World News for Public
Television," an international newscast sidelined last May when KTCI, Channel 17,
added a daily block of children's shows. Programming chief Tom Holter says he
still hopes to find a slot for it. Meanwhile, he hopes newshounds will take some
solace in "BBC World News," which was added to KTCA-TV, Channel 2's weekday
schedule (6 to 6:30 a.m.) in November.
.
Call Noel Holston at 612-673-4866 or
e-mail noelh@startribune.com
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December 24, 2000 
