‘War’ profanity causes concern

WASHINGTON POST

WASHINGTON — Ken Burns’ upcoming PBS documentary “The War,” which has weathered complaints from Latinos about their World War II contributions being represented, is prompting responses from another group: managers of public TV stations.

The stations are concerned that four words of profanity in the 141⁄2-hour documentary could subject them to hefty indecency fines from the Federal Communications Commission. Their worries have prompted PBS, based in suburban Arlington, Va., to take the unprecedented step of distributing two versions of “The War” for broadcast next month: Burns’ original film and an FCC-friendly version from which the profanity has been removed.

The profanity could subject a station to a $325,000 indecency fine if broadcast between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.

In two instances, the words are spoken by former American soldiers as they describe the meaning of the common military euphemisms snafu and fubar, as well as some combat experiences. The other two words refer to a body part and excrement. In the edited version, the soundtrack briefly goes silent when the profanities are uttered.

In an interview, Burns called the soldiers’ comments “four incredibly appropriate words.” He added, “It’s what soldiers in battle say, and not just during World War II.”