On Friday, as porn icon Ron Jeremy celebrated his 51st birthday, his fiftieth comes back to haunt Clear Channel Communications to the tune of $247,500 after the FCC announced they planned on fining the radio behometh for indecency violations committed during the celebration of Jeremy’s 50th birthday on a show broadcast live on three radio stations owned by Clear Channel.
During a segment called "Dianne's Dirt of the Day" on the Elliot in the Morning radio program that aired on March 13, 2003, the show decided to replay a previous interview of a Ron Jeremy fan.
During the segment a female caller said she masturbated frequently Jeremy and noted that she wanted to do a three-way with him, because she liked "the way he licks pussy,” and desired to see if "I can lick better or he can lick better."
The offending segment, as transcribed in the FCC Notice of Apparrent Liability for Forfeiture (NALF), went as follows:
Diane’s Voice: Finally porn legend Ron Jeremy is hitting the half century mark.
Elliot’s Voice: Oh, Happy Birthday Ron.
Diane’s Voice: 50 years old today. Despite turning 50, Ron Jeremy says he’s still going strong in the sack and continues to film sex scenes without needing Viagra. He credits his good health to avoiding drugs for all these years. And I figured what a better time than now to play Craig’s interview with one Ron Jeremy fan.
Female Voice: I masturbate with Jeremy’s video every day. Uh, not every day, but every other weekend.
Craig’s Voice: Wow. What is it that you like about him so much?
Female Voice: The way he licks pussy. I want to do a threesome with him. See who’s the best. If I can lick better or he can lick better.
Diane’s Voice: She is a looker.
Elliot’s Voice: Hot. Got a great dental plan in her office.
The segment was then replayed twice on the same three radio stations, all owned by Clear Channel, leading to the nine violations.
Clear Channel's argument that the five words "(t)he way he licks pussy" were not patently offensive were brushed off by an incredulous FCC.
Discussing the offending phrase and Clear Channel's argument that "(t)he way he licks pussy" is not patently offensive, the NALF reads, "Clear Channel ignores the full context of these words -- the discussion of a 'porn legend' not needing Viagra at age 50 to perform in sex scenes; a female fan’s masturbation practices involving the adult film actor’s videos; and the fan’s desire to have a group sex with the actor to determine who can perform better oral sex."
The FCC recommended that Clear Channel be charged $27,500, the current maximum fine per utterance, for each of the nine violations. The total fine was $247,500.
Earlier this week the House of Representatives passed the Broadcast Indecency Enforcement Act, a bill that if signed into law will increase FCC fines to $500,000 per violation. Under that version of the bill, Clear Channel would have to pay over $4 million for that same offense.A similar bill will be voted on in the Senate next week.
There was one dissenter on the commission, Michael Copps, who argued that Clear Channel should have their licenses taken away for the stations involved, instead of simply paying a fine.
Just last month, the FCC proposed that Clear Channel pay a $755,000 for airing the controversial "Bubba the Love Sponge" show in Florida. The disc jockey of that show was fired by Clear Channel, who agreed to pay the fine.
Clear Channel and Infinity Broadcasting, the largest radio chains in the country, account for 80 percent of all indecency violations.
A call to Jeremy by AVN.com was not returned as we went to press.
For his part, Jeremy is still active in adult, representing both Metro Interactive and Las Vegas Novelties. Tonight he can be seen on America's Most Wanted - appearing as an "expert witness," in a missing person's case.
