By LYNN ELBER, AP Television Writer Fri Feb 3, 8:31 PM ET LOS ANGELES - ABC is putting a five-second defensive line between the Super Bowl and television viewers. The tape delay, for the game itself as well as the pre-game, halftime and post-game entertainment, is an apparent echo of the Janet Jackson "wardrobe malfunction" that marred the 2004 broadcast on CBS. The delay, according to ABC, is the first-ever in the 40-year history of the Super Bowl. While ABC confirmed the broadcast delay, network officials who could explain when the decision was made and why were not immediately available, an ABC spokeswoman said Friday. A tape delay was in place for the past two years of ABC's "Monday Night Football." The decision drew immediate praise from the Parents Television Council, a media watchdog group. The halftime show this year features the Rolling Stones. "ABC has wisely decided to ensure that this year's Super Bowl is not hijacked by raunchy performers as it was in 2004," said L. Brent Bozell, PTC president. "Now, we hope that millions of families can safely watch this family program without the worry of seeing inappropriate sexual content or hearing vulgar language." In the 2004 halftime show, a musical number featuring Jackson and Justin Timberlake ended with him ripping her costume and exposing a breast nudity that Jackson said went beyond what was planned. The episode prompted a flurry of criticism, congressional hearings, stricter Federal Communication Commission rules and triggered $550,000 in fines against the 20 CBS-owned stations that carried the game. Short delays on live events as a way of keeping something inappropriate from airing became much more popular in the aftermath of the Jackson affair. Last year's Super Bowl broadcast on Fox featured a tamer performance by Paul McCartney and did not include a delay. Before the game, the network said it was treating it as a news event and didn't believe "in tape delaying news events." Besides this Sunday's halftime act with Mick Jagger and the Stones, Stevie Wonder will perform in the pre-show in Detroit. Each year's Super Bowl audience generally approaches 90 million people, by far the largest television turnout of the year. On the Net: http://www.abc.com You screwed it up JJ!
As a result of the delay, there is also an echo, which makes it sound like you just keep repeating yourself....
Wow. Not cool at all, they're ruining the game. I guess the NFL is letting ABC, NBC, FOX, etc duke it out for showing the Super Bowl for a few years before they decide who'll they give a long contract to. FOX did a great job of it, IMO. Paul McCartney was a great choice!
It not the 5 sec. delay I worry about. It's how many commercial breaks are going to destroy the rhythm.
Its nothing new. Because of last years expose, almost all live sporting broadcasts have been on somewhat of a delay.
Well it seems like yesterday that evey mom in America flipped out that their 17 yr old saw a boob. You know what i mean.
Most events and radio shows have a 5 - 10 second delay.. Whats the big deal?? Its all of a sudden a media story because theyre publicizing it? Who cares. Im glad theyre doing it. I DO NOT want to see Keith Richards with no shirt!!!
Wheeh, were safe from having to see another 40 year old tit. All the children's lives that were ruined from that wardrobe malfunction, it was terrible, pracitically a pandemic. Let me be the first to say I hope the children appreciate this gesture and utilize the halftime to down load some quality 18 year old DD tits instead this year.
NFL Edits Out Explicit Stones Lyrics http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/02/05/D8FJC24O0.html and keiths nips.
