Still editing songs in 2024?

[LITTLEBOYBLUE]

Was VERY surprised to hear a "radio edit" on Movin...removing "Bitch" from Sabrina Carpenter's Feather. Even SNL let that one slide by.
Are we still doing this to protect our virgin ears?

 

[fordranger797]

Yeah, I don’t see much of a reason for that, especially on 92.5. I doubt they’d receive any complaints for airing the unedited version. And in a world where someone could easily listen to the full song on Spotify or YouTube, what would be the point in censoring?

 

[Kelly A]

Yeah, I don’t see much of a reason for that, especially on 92.5. I doubt they’d receive any complaints for airing the unedited version. And in a world where someone could easily listen to the full song on Spotify or YouTube, what would be the point in censoring?

So hold on. One of the popular tunes out right now is from Panic At The Disco/I Write Sins Not Tragedies. Many pop stations just cut out God- from the lyrics.
Considering how many times it's used, you don't think someone would complain?

 

[TheBigA]

And in a world where someone could easily listen to the full song on Spotify or YouTube, what would be the point in censoring?

Broadcast radio operates under FCC rules, streaming services don't. The FCC rules are vague, and subject to interpretation. All a station needs is someone to complain to the FCC, and the station has to pay a fine. Yes there are lots of exceptions, but you just need one. It's so much easier to use the radio edit.

 

[bobdavcav]

There are certainly edits I really don't understand, for instance cutting drugs from Nickelback's Rock Star. I've mentioned on the CHR board of this site before that it feels like certain edits just exist to meet FCC rules, but you can pretty easily tell what the edited word was supposed to be. What annoys me more when it comes to editing is that it feels like certain stations will go out of their way to find a super clean edit when an acceptable radio edit either already exists or isn't needed. The best example of this comes from Fisher/Synclaire, which used to play the super clean version of Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO. I've heard the normal version even on other Hot ACs, so not sure why KPLZ was playing such a conservative edit. I'm sure I could come up with other examples if I took the time.

 

[TheBigA]

At one time, Bonneville (owned by the Church of Latter Day Saints) used to refuse to play any songs with drug, alcohol, or sex references.

I believe that policy has loosened up in recent years.

 

[TexasTom]

Broadcast radio operates under FCC rules, streaming services don't. The FCC rules are vague, and subject to interpretation. All a station needs is someone to complain to the FCC, and the station has to pay a fine. Yes there are lots of exceptions, but you just need one. It's so much easier to use the radio edit.

I'm not sure that I've ever heard of an interpretation of those rules that would prohibit saying "bitch" or "G-damn" on the radio.

 

[TheBigA]

I'm not sure that I've ever heard of an interpretation of those rules that would prohibit saying "bitch" or "G-damn" on the radio.

The version of the song I heard still has the B word, but it sounds like she's saying Bush. Very different from Beyonce's Texas Hold Em.

 

[fordranger797]

Broadcast radio operates under FCC rules, streaming services don't. The FCC rules are vague, and subject to interpretation. All a station needs is someone to complain to the FCC, and the station has to pay a fine. Yes there are lots of exceptions, but you just need one. It's so much easier to use the radio edit.

I once worked for a radio station that identified as being “safe for the whole family,” yet there were songs in the playlist that used that word. I never heard one complaint about it. I was under the impression that nothing could ever be done (even if someone did complain), since “bitch” isn’t part of the list of seven deadly words.

 

[TheBigA]

since “bitch” isn’t part of the list of seven deadly words.

Keep in mind the station that was fined over the 7 deadly words appealed, and they won:

The '7 Dirty Words' Turn 40, but They're Still Dirty

Four decades after George Carlin's legendary monologue, the law still can't decide how to handle publicly broadcast swearing.

www.theatlantic.com

It's all very subjective. But if any listener objects, the station has to pay for their defense. That's an expense some would rather not risk.

 

[davideduardo]

Keep in mind the station that was fined over the 7 deadly words appealed, and they won:

Keep in mind that the supposed seven dirty words is not a part of FCC rules. The rules are generalized, nd Carlin’s comedy bit was criticized as much for the use of all the words together as for any particular individual word. The feeling of our FCC counsels at the time was that saying bad words just for shock value… as with Carin… is bad, but an occasional utterance in appropriate context might be acceptable.

But the FCC never issued a list or real clarification. So, like frightened dogs, we put our tail between our legs and refused to even tempt or test the issue.

 

[TheBigA]

But the FCC never issued a list or real clarification. So, like frightened dogs, we put our tail between our legs and refused to even tempt or test the issue.

It depends. Numerous radio companies have challenged the rules, with mixed results. The fleeting expletives case went all the way to the Supreme Court. So it's hard to generalize. My take is that record labels (depending on the format) have been less attentive to the regulations that their radio partners must follow. It's their music that is in question here. But we in radio make a decision whether or not to play it based on our own willingness to be fined for something done by a recording artist outside of our control. Sony Nashville made a decision to provide radio stations with a clean version of the Beyonce song. There is also a clean version of the Shaboozey song. Both of them were done in a way that is unobtrusive and doesn't interfere with the enjoyment of the music. In other words, no 1K tone or something as jarring.

 

[Kelly A]

But the FCC never issued a list or real clarification. So, like frightened dogs, we put our tail between our legs and refused to even tempt or test the issue.

The reason tails go between legs is generally caused by knowing how much the lawyers will cost to defend a fleeting expletive. Now imagine in the case of pop radio, that expletive was allowed to air dozens of times daily for three weeks. Since the Commission deals with 'per offense', that jacks the legal representation to potentially ionospheric levels.

Given the state of radio from a financial perspective, I doubt even the larger groups want to risk dying on some hill defending the ability to have what could be considered objectionable words or phrases for every U.S. radio station.

 

[AuxRSS]

Regarding the Jack Harlow song Lovin on Me, which both Billboard and Ryan Seacrest's AT40 regard as a #1 song on the charts, Movin 92.5 edits out the "chains" from the "I don't like no whips and chains" line in the chorus. Hits 106.1 doesn't.

To me this quite obtrusive edit signifies (a) it is still a matter of opinion as to what is clean (b) some stations prefer to be ultra-safe with even long-accepted radio singles for the aforementioned FCC reasons (c) CHR doesn't really matter anymore as a music source.

 

[Huff]

So hold on. One of the popular tunes out right now is from Panic At The Disco/I Write Sins Not Tragedies. Many pop stations just cut out God- from the lyrics.
Considering how many times it's used, you don't think someone would complain?

1. That song is from 2006.
2. It's not the "God" in the lyrics that is the issue, it is the fact that it is next to "damn," a combination that has frequently been edited out of both music and movies. Another example of a song with a "GD" edited out of its radio version:
"Flagpole Sitta" by Harvey Danger

 

[TheBigA]

CHR doesn't really matter anymore as a music source.

Hard to make that generalization when you can only name one station that made that edit. What we're talking about with this example is a family company vs. iHeart. Generally speaking, iHeart is the one that is least likely to edit songs for lyrics. My question to you is does that benefit them in the ratings?

The other question we need to ask is what responsibility should the artists or labels take in terms of promoting abuse or obscenity in a format that is heard by people under 18. Because it appears the answer is none.

 

[Kelly A]

1. That song is from 2006.
2. It's not the "God" in the lyrics that is the issue, it is the fact that it is next to "damn," a combination that has frequently been edited out of both music and movies. Another example of a song with a "GD" edited out of its radio version:
"Flagpole Sitta" by Harvey Danger

The edited radio version is in the video where they pulled God out of goddam*. That was the reference. And yes, it's still being played by pop stations.

Flagpole Sitta is from the 90's.

 

[Mark Roberts]

But the FCC never issued a list or real clarification. So, like frightened dogs, we put our tail between our legs and refused to even tempt or test the issue.

The phrase "abundance of caution" comes to mind. That phrase also indicates that lawyers could be involved.

 

[guruofradio]

It is typical for labels to put out multiple versions of songs from the "super clean radio edit" to "radio edit" and multiple mixes. Stations decide what works best for their audience. Some stations target moms/young kids others do not. I notice multiple versions of "Too Sweet" that has nothing to do with content. CHR edit jumps right to lyric with more tempo other mixes have a long bass line intro. I recently saw over a dozen edits of a popular song from radio edit, to country mix, to several rhythmic DJ mixes along with varied content mixes. Sometimes quite a surprise when you download the original version.

 

[TheBigA]

I recently saw over a dozen edits of a popular song from radio edit, to country mix, to several rhythmic DJ mixes along with varied content mixes. Sometimes quite a surprise when you download the original version.

Record labels benefit by making multiple versions available, and will even offer stems from the songs so DJs can create their own edits.

DJs Finally Get a Break as Sony Music Starts Licensing Its Stems

Following lengthy negotiations, Remix Hits, a Nashville-based music tech company, has inked a deal with Sony Music to release official song stems for DJs.

www.digitalmusicnews.com