The FCC promised to start fining stations for indecency violations, and it has. On March 12, Clear Channel was fined $247,500 for an Elliot in the Morning airing on three radio stations, which repeated twice during promos.
The broadcast was a March 13, 2003, morning drive show during which host Elliot Segal and co-host Diane Stupar noted the 50th birthday of porn star Ron Jeremy. Prodded by the hosts, a female caller said on the air that she regularly masturbated to Jeremy’s sex scenes and was aroused by "the way he licks pussy." Each airing garnered the $27,500-per-incident maximum.
Segal is a shock jock on Washington’s WWDC(FM). His show also airs on WRXL(FM) Richmond, Va., and WOSC(FM) Bethany Beach, Del.
The fine came two weeks after Clear Channel announced a "no-tolerance" policy for indecent broadcasts that led to the firing of Tampa, Fla., DJ Todd Clem and the cancellation of Howard Stern’s syndicated show from six company stations.
In January, the FCC proposed a $755,000 fine for one of Clem’s programs.
