Going Too Far: Language Limitations of Sports Talk Radio

Only one sports-talk radio station has ever been subject to an indecency enforcement action, WGR in Buffalo, NY. However, the Federal Communications Commission did not impose disciplinary penalties. This article compares that incident with the termination of Don Imus from WFAN in New York City following racially motivated comments that could not have been considered indecent. Both of these incidents occurred when “guy talk” became offensive to the larger public. While indecency regulations have helped to place some general limits on the sports-talk format, this article argues that economic and normative pressures constrain the content more than legal sanctions.