When you get your law degree, pass the bar, and start representing clients, you can certainly advise them otherwise.
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Radio stations that edit songs either more conservative or more lenient?
- Thread starter tall_guy1
- Start date
Those of us in management call counsel, we don't try to outguess them. Many station groups have in-house FCC counsel, in fact.
The practicing FCC attorney I asked said (and I paraphrase to some extent), "Be careful. One thing is to advertise legal CBD products, but if a retail location also sells marijuana, then it could be interpreted as a "come on" or "loss leader" to encourage purchase of nationally prohibited products... there may be a gray area. You don't want to be a test case even if it would be billable hours for me."
You can definitely hear ads for CBD stores on the radio and TV in West TN.
Now that I know the difference between CBD and marijuana (Which is still illegal in TN) I don't have a problem with CBD in itself if it works for some conditions but a lot of it still sounds like snake oil to me. I'm surprised someone hasn't claimed it will cure COVID.
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I think that was just for The Ed Sullivan Show.
Anyone here recall when Cumulus edited out "prayed to a God I don't believe in" from The Script's Breakeven? Or when Sean Kingston wasn't "suicidal" in the version of Beautiful Girls played on Cumulus stations?
Funny, I don't remember (at least in the 90s/2000s) hearing local stations censoring "Personal Jesus" Depeche Mode or "Sounds of Silence" Simon and Garfunkel, the latter of which AM Only also played quite a bit. It also had some lyrics which, depending how they're misheard, could be considered anti-semitic.
We should also point out that Peaches was a worldwide #1, despite using the "s" word and the "b" word. So I guess it wasn't much of a problem. It peaked at #4 in the US Adult Top 40, and it was mostly Top 10 in some eastern block countries. It was #1 in the Netherlands, Denmark, and Canada.
In the other thread, we discussed how these edits are done. It's rare that a radio station itself does the edit. Typically the record label does the edit. They might request the artist or producer to do an alternate version without an offending word. The word "ass" comes up a lot in songs, and record labels will often find a way to replace it. It may not be one of the FCC's deadly words, but some find it offensive, depending on context.
When the edits are done by the label, they can be less obvious because they have access to the multi-track. Radio stations prefer not to air a song with a bunch of beeps in it. They'd rather not play the song at all. From what I can see, the label did an edit on the Bieber song that minimized the impact of the "s" and "b" words. You know what he's saying, but he doesn't actually say it. Some grandmas might be a bit shocked that he would say such things, but he's been doing crazy things for a long time.
Here is an example of a clean edit of the song:
This version is pretty innocuous and could probably air on an AC station (although the song didn't chart AC).
Someone has done an article on the general subject of radio edits for Wikipedia:
en.wikipedia.org
In the other thread, we discussed how these edits are done. It's rare that a radio station itself does the edit. Typically the record label does the edit. They might request the artist or producer to do an alternate version without an offending word. The word "ass" comes up a lot in songs, and record labels will often find a way to replace it. It may not be one of the FCC's deadly words, but some find it offensive, depending on context.
When the edits are done by the label, they can be less obvious because they have access to the multi-track. Radio stations prefer not to air a song with a bunch of beeps in it. They'd rather not play the song at all. From what I can see, the label did an edit on the Bieber song that minimized the impact of the "s" and "b" words. You know what he's saying, but he doesn't actually say it. Some grandmas might be a bit shocked that he would say such things, but he's been doing crazy things for a long time.
Here is an example of a clean edit of the song:
This version is pretty innocuous and could probably air on an AC station (although the song didn't chart AC).
Someone has done an article on the general subject of radio edits for Wikipedia:
Radio edit - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
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We get a lot of marijuana store commercials on the radio here in central Washington...of course with the mandatory disclaimer at the end.
But one of the more crazy examples of radio editing I've heard was on Warm 106.9 in Seattle. 'Chasing Cars' by Snow Patrol some years ago began at the chorus ("if I lie here..."), and the first lyrics were omitted altogether. "We'll do it all, everything, on our own, we don't need, anything, or anyone". What is controversial about those lyrics? I guess they wanted another 30 seconds added to their commercial breaks? 🤔
But one of the more crazy examples of radio editing I've heard was on Warm 106.9 in Seattle. 'Chasing Cars' by Snow Patrol some years ago began at the chorus ("if I lie here..."), and the first lyrics were omitted altogether. "We'll do it all, everything, on our own, we don't need, anything, or anyone". What is controversial about those lyrics? I guess they wanted another 30 seconds added to their commercial breaks? 🤔
"The Sound of Silence" (not "Sounds") had lyrics that could be considered anti-Semitic? Really? Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel are Jewish. What lyrics could Simon have written or he and Garfunkel have recorded that anyone would consider anti-Semitic. "The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls and tenement halls"? Really? Not surprised at all that no "censored" version exists.
The 1973 smash "Brother Louie" by Stories was played in its entirety by all NYC top 40 stations like WABC, WXLO, WPIX and WWDJ. However, Black formatted WWRL completely edited out the verse, "Ain't no difference if you're Black or White. Brothers you know what I mean." I have no idea why that verse was edited.
Is this something you heard for yourself back in '73 or a secondhand account? It sounds suspicious, but assuming it's genuine, all I can figure is that the black PD of WWRL objected to a white singer -- and Stories was a white band -- using the word "brothers."
The most curious radio edit I came across in production for a radio format company was when some record co sent us a 'radio edit' of a rap song that blipped out the N-word but left completely intact the S-bomb. Where I worked, the policy was no cuss words. Period. I'm not sure the Who's famous F-bomb got through onto our classic rock formats. If it did, it was an oversight.
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Another prominent Jewish singer, David Draiman of Disturbed, sang it intact, too, when they did their cover of the song. I don't think that particular verse comes off as anti-semitic in any way. More of a social commentary instead.
I've heard that edit too. It's just to make the song shorter and avoid a long, slow introduction. Stations often did the same thing with Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You". Some DJs joked about the edit, saying "we now join Whitney Houston, already in progress."
One edit I heard recently surprised me a little. The station was Sun Radio in Austin, TX and they edited Foster the People's Pumped Up Kicks, which makes violent reference to "bullets" and "outrun my gun".
For what it is worth the band has stated that the song was intended to raise awareness about these issues and not glorify them.
For what it is worth the band has stated that the song was intended to raise awareness about these issues and not glorify them.
Typo on my part but consider: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe...f_Silence_by_Simon_and_Garfunkel_US_vinyl.png
Reread my post. You appear to have skipped the part where I said "depending how they're misheard". The electric guitar accompaniment and Paul's accent make "might teach you" sound in the recording like "I'm anti-Jew" with a drawl on the not-really anti:
Real lyrics:
Hear my words that I might teach you
Take my arms that I might reach you
Botched:
Hear my words that I'm anti-Jew
Take my arms and I'm a angry Jew
Which could also be further mis/interpreted as a Jewish person's reaction to anti-Semitism.
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