C-SPAN Will Not Employ Tape Delay On Live Call-In Shows

A C-SPAN spokesperson said Friday that it would "continue to monitor the situation" but that the cable public affair net has thus far opted not to employ a tape delay on its live call-in shows "as we hope to preserve the open nature of our town hall forum."

That came after three prank callers -- or caller -- this week maanged to weigh in on the size of Republican candidate Mitt Romney's penis before teh call was cut off. Twice it was questions to guests, followed by C-SPAN apologies, a third with host Paul Orgel, with the caller first asking innocently what could be one about the earlier "obscene" language -- Orgel said they try to cut the callers off "as best they can," before that caller finished up with an organ reference that got the hook.

C-SPAN spokesman Peter Kiley pointed out that the network takes some 38,000 calls a year, the overwhelming number of which are respectful, with "good questions and opinions," adding it was unfortubane that a few prank calls make it to air, as they did this week.

In other C-SPAN language news, the network was airing audiotapes Friday of the Jan. 10 Supreme Court oral argument on indecency on both C-SPAN Radio 4-5 p.m. and in prime time on C-SPAN at 8 p.m.

There will be no delay there either, and none needed since the language in court did not include explicit reference to the swearing at issue in the Fox case.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.