Censor Dire Straits song: broadcast panel
The Canadian Press
The 1980s song Money for Nothing by the British rock band Dire Straits has been deemed unacceptable for play on Canadian radio.
In a ruling released Wednesday, the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council says the song contravenes the human rights clauses of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ Code of Ethics and Equitable Portrayal Code.
Read more: cbc.ca/arts/music/story/2011 … z1AwbPZ4fp
Unbelievable.
The song is satirical and is making fun of the person who used the word faggot.
That didn’t even come up in the discussion with the panel member.
OZ-FM is a shell of the radio station it was in 80s and early 90s 
Doesn’t surprise me in the least considering songs that have been
banned by other broadcasting corporations over the years…and the
ridiculous reasons for doing so.
Some more oldies for the chopping block might be:
Ain’t Gonna Bump No More With No Big Fat Woman…Joe Tex
Squaws Along The Yukon…Hank Thompson
Short People…Randy Newman
Smoke Smoke Smoke (That Cigarette)…Commander Cody
Indian Giver…1910 Fruitgum Company and Bobby Curtola
and all “death rock” songs from the 60’s
This is 30 years after and now they find it offensive?
I find crappy pop songs sung by cookie-cutter artists, marketed to tweens offensive. They should all be banned. Music thats been around for 30+ years should be left alone.
Does it really matter? I mean, by censoring certain music, just encourages me to download it for free online anywway!
From a very long list of banned rock and roll songs/album covers/performances etc.
Songwriter Rupert Holmes set out to write a song that would get banned from radio airplay and thus gain attention for a group he wanted to promote, The Buoys. The result was “Timothy”, a tune about three boys trapped in a mine, one of whom was cannibalized. The song received limited airplay until program directors started listening to the lyrics. Some removed it from their playlists, while others added it. As the record started to gain notoriety, it shot up the Billboard Hot 100 and reached #17. Holmes plan had worked to perfection.
But I also liked this one because we don’t want to offend anybody.
The BBC refused to play The Who’s “My Generation”, saying they did not want to offend people who stuttered. When the song became a huge hit, the broadcaster relented and added it to their play list.
And probably my favourite. Ban him 'cause you don’t get him.
An El Paso, Texas radio station deletes all records by Bob Dylan from its play list, because it is too difficult to understand the lyrics. They do however continue to play other artists covering Dylan’s material.
I watched the Stones sing “Let’s Spend Some Time Together” live on Ed Sullivan.
Isn’t that what they just did? Dire Straits had jumped the shark by that album…
If they must play the censorship card, then would they please pull an ace on Justin Bieber…For the love of god, ban him from all the airwaves, an excuse for a performer. I know he is the idol of the day for the youngin’s but please, a 15 year old writing his life story. What’s he going to bend our minds with? His last diaper change or the day he threw out his blankie or his first solid food? Aaaargh !! Pleaeeeeeeese, be gone !
I don’t see the problem with it, not that I agree with the decision.
The radio station voluntarily belongs to an organization, and they agree to follow the rules of that organization. One of the rules is that if a listener complains, they must act on what the organization rules. That’s what happened here. One person complained that they play a different version (ie: unabridged) than they used to, and they found the use of the F-word offensive.
The original radio version wasn’t the same as on the album, BTW. No F-word. OZ-FM only recently began to air the album version.
This isn’t government censorship, it’s self-regulation. It hasn’t been banned from Canadian radio.
The order only applies to OZ-FM. It has been told to go back to playing one of the many versions of this song that uses alternate F-words, or simply blanks out the word. As it always has, and as other Canadian radio stations do as well.
That’s much like Cee-Lo’s “Forget You”. I think I’ve heard at least three different versions.