ABC Tells Democrats to Keep Debate Clean. Looking at You, Beto.
There was a time in American history when candidates for president did not need to be reminded to avoid using obscene and inappropriate language in front of millions of people.
That time is not now.
Faced with profligate profanities on the campaign trail and at least one candidate who publicly threatened to work blue on its airwaves (ahem, Beto ORourke) ABC News issued a warning this week to the 10 Democrats appearing on the debate stage in Houston on Thursday: Keep it clean, folks.
We wanted to take this opportunity to remind you that, as the debate will air on the ABC broadcast network, we are governed by Federal Communications Commission indecency rules, Rick Klein, the networks political director, wrote in a memo forwarded to campaigns by the Democratic Party.
Candidates should therefore avoid cursing or expletives in accordance with federal law, Mr. Klein added, presumably sighing deeply.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/12/us/politics/democratic-debate-profanity-abc.html