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 NEWS  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  TTY  202  /  418-  2555  Fax-  On-  Demand  202  /  418-  2830  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  ftp.  fcc.  gov  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  This  is  an  unofficial  announcement  of  Commission  action.  Release  of  the  full  text  of  a  Commission  order  constitutes  official  action.  See  MCI  v.  FCC.  515  F  2d  385  (D.  C.  Circ  1974). 
 FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE:  CONTACT:  August  21,  2000  William  J.  Friedman  at  (202)  418-  2300 
 Maureen  Peratino  at  (202)  418-  0506 


 FCC  COMMISSIONER  TRISTANI  RELEASES  LETTER  SENT  TO  CBS  PRESIDENT 
 REGARDING  “SNIPERS  WANTED”  GRAPHIC  BELOW  A  PICTURE  OF  GOVERNOR  GEORGE  W.  BUSH 


 Washington,  D.  C.  –  Today,  Gloria  Tristani,  Commissioner  of  the  Federal 
 Communications  Commission  (FCC),  released  the  attached  letter  addressed  to  Mr.  Leslie  Moonves,  President  of  CBS  Television,  regarding  a  “Snipers  Wanted”  graphic 


 which  appeared  below  a  photograph  of  Governor  Bush  on  “The  Late  Late  Show  with  Craig  Kilborn.” 


 -  FCC  - 
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 445  12  th  Street,  SW 
 Suite  8-  C302 
 Washington,  DC  20554 


 August  18,  2000 


 Mr.  Leslie  Moonves,  President 
 CBS  Television 
 7800  Beverly  Boulevard 
 Los  Angeles,  CA  90036 


 RE:  “Snipers  Wanted”  graphic  /  Governor  George  W.  Bush 
 Dear  Mr.  Moonves: 
 I  am  writing  to  advise  CBS  that  many  Americans  have  written  to  me  about  the  above-referenced 
 appalling  broadcast  demanding  government  action.  They  believe  violence  suggested 
 on  television  too  easily  and  too  often  becomes  violence  attempted. 


 The  New  York  Times  reported  a  caller  on  the  Howard  Stern  radio  show  threatened  to  kill 
 Senator  Lieberman.  After  the  caller’s  arrest,  the  caller’s  uncle  reportedly  said  it  was  just  a  “joke 
 gone  bad.”  A  joke  gone  too  far  is  not  a  joke.  The  graphic  reading  “snipers  wanted”  below  the 
 picture  of  Governor  Bush  was  similarly  not  a  joke. 


 Two  concerns  dominate  the  calls  I  have  received:  the  misuse  of  the  public’s  airwaves  to 
 suggest  that  violence  solves  problems  and  the  implicit  endorsement  of  vigilante  action  against 
 those  with  different  opinions. 


 Perhaps  there  is  no  government  solution  for  bad  taste  or  the  thoughtless  broadcast  of 
 misguided  humor.  However,  America’s  patience  with  gratuitous  violence  on  her  airwaves  is 
 perilously  thin.  Calls  for  voluntary  codes  of  conduct  are  changing  to  calls  for  enforceable 
 regulatory  standards.  I  urge  CBS  to  meaningfully  respond  to  these  citizens  and  use  this  incident 
 to  assess  its  public  interest  obligations. 


 Sincerely, 


 Gloria  Tristani 
 Commissioner 


 cc:  The  Honorable  George  W.  Bush 
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