Freedom of Speech Award Recipient Sumner M. Redstone

Acceptance Remarks from The Media Insitute Awards Banquet
Washington, DC -- October 16, 2006


THANK YOU, DAN (GLICKMAN) FOR THAT KIND INTRODUCTION...

... AND THANK YOU, PATRICK MAINES AND THE MEDIA INSTITUTE FOR THIS GREAT HONOR, PARTICULARLY AS IT COMES DURING THE NATIONAL FREEDOM OF SPEECH WEEK. THANKS ALSO TO FORMER FCC CHAIRMAN WILEY FOR MANAGING THIS EVENING SO EXPERTLY AND TO OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKER TONIGHT, FCC COMMISSIONER MCDOWELL. AND CONGRATULATIONS TO MY FELLOW HONOREE, GLENN BRITT FOR HIS WELL DESERVED HONOR.

IT WAS MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY AGO WHEN FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT FIRST DESCRIBED WHAT HE CALLED THE "FOUR ESSENTIAL HUMAN FREEDOMS."

THE FIRST WAS FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND EXPRESSON. THE LAST WAS FREEDOM FROM FEAR.

MEDIA COMPANIES AND INDIVIDUAL WRITERS AND PRODUCERS HAVE LONG BEEN FAMILIAR WITH THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FIRST FREEDOM TO OUR SOCIETY. THEY ARE ALSO VERY WELL AWARE THAT IT IS ONLY WHEN YOU REMOVE THE FEAR INDUCING SHACKLES OF CENSORSHIP THAT YOU UNLEASH THE IMAGINATION.

UNFORTUNATELY, WE FIND OURSELVES IN A WORLD WHERE, INCREASINGLY AND ALARMINGLY, A COUPLE THOUSAND FORM COMPLAINTS FROM PEOPLE CONDEMNING SHOWS THAT THEY HAVE NEVER WATCHED CAN RESULT IN AN INDECENCY FINE 10 TIMES HIGHER THAN IT WAS A YEAR AGO... IN A WORLD WHERE THESE SAME FORM COMPLAINTS CAN LEAD REGULATORS TO DICTATE BUSINESS MODELS THAT ULTIMATELY WILL DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD. ...AND, YES, IN A WORLD WHERE ENTERTAINMENT AND NEWS EXECUTIVES, MUSICIANS AND ARTISTS ARE LIVING WITH A GREAT DEAL OF FEAR.

  • PBS RECENTLY BEGAN INSTRUCTING ITS PRODUCERS TO SELF-CENSOR ALL OF ITS SHOWS, INCLUDING NEWS PROGRAMMING, AFTER ONE OF ITS AFFILIATES WAS SLAPPED WITH A FINE AGAINST MARTIN SCORSESE’S DOCUMENTARY ON THE BLUES,
  • HOUNDED BY PRESSURE GROUPS AND FEARFUL OF ONEROUS FINES BECAUSE OF LANGUAGE DEEMED TO BE INDECENT, MORE THAN 11% OF THE CBS AFFILIATES EITHER PRE-EMPTED OR MOVED A PEABODY AWARD WINNING PROGRAM ABOUT THE HEROIC EFFORTS OF FIREFIGHTERS ON 9-11... EVEN THOUGH THIS PROGRAM HAD AIRED TWICE BEFORE.
  • PHOENIX TV STATIONS DROPPED COVERAGE OF A LIVE MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR PAT TILLMAN, THE FORMER FOOTBALL STAR KILLED IN AFGHANISTAN, BECAUSE OF THE LANGUAGE USED BY MOURNING FAMILY MEMBERS.
  • AN EPISODE OF THAT 70S SHOW WAS PULLED FROM RE-RUNS AFTER AN FCC ENFORCEMENT DECISION... EVEN THOUGH THAT EPISODE HAD WON AN AWARD FOR ITS RESPONSIBLE TREATMENT OF SEXUAL HEALTH.

CONSIDER THIS STATEMENT FROM ONE OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT’S GREATEST CHAMPIONS, SUPREME COURT JUSTICE OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES, JR. "THE PRINCIPLE OF FREE THOUGHT IS NOT FREE THOUGHT FOR THOSE WHO AGREE WITH US ," JUSTICE HOLMES WROTE, "BUT FREEDOM FOR THE THOUGHT WE HATE."

HOLMES AND HIS FELLOW JUSTICES HAD THE RIGHT AND RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE FREEDOM OF PUBLIC EXPRESSION. AND WE TOO IN THE MEDIA INDUSTRY HAVE A RIGHT THAT MUST BE BALANCED WITH RESPONSIBILITY. IT IS A RESPONSIBILITY WE TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY AT VIACOM AND CBS.

YES, WE ARE IN BUSINESS TO MAKE A PROFIT. I DO NOT APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY IS TODAY ONE OF THE CORNERSTONES OF OUR NATION’S ECONOMY. I BELIEVE THAT THE ENGINE OF THIS ECONOMIC GROWTH IS FUELED BY CREATIVITY AND THE PROTECTIONS OUR SOCIETY PROVIDES THAT ALLOW IT TO FLOURISH. AND I BELIEVE THAT THE BENEFACTORS ARE NOT JUST MEDIA COMPANIES AND THEIR INVESTORS, BUT ALSO OUR SOCIETY IN GENERAL.

I’LL CONFESS I NEVER DID GET BEAVIS & BUTTHEAD, AND THE POPULARITY OF THE MOVIE JACKASS NUMBER TWO IS LOST ON ME... AND I ADMIT THAT NOT EVERY CBS SHOW IS ON MY "MUST-WATCH" LIST.

  • BUT I’M PROUD OF OUR ABILITY AT MTV TO CONSISTENTLY AND UNERRINGLY GIVE VOICE TO THE THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS OF YOUNG PEOPLE THE WORLD OVER. IN A VERY REAL WAY, MTV AND ITS COMPANION NETWORKS -- NICKELODEON, VH1, AND COMEDY CENTRAL -- HAVE PAVED THE WAY TO A MORE GLOBAL "MARKETPLACE OF IDEAS"... TO BORROW ANOTHER EXPRESSION COINED BY JUSTICE HOLMES.
  • I AM PROUD THAT THE CSI FRANCHISE ON CBS HAS DONE MORE TO PROMOTE FORENSIC SCIENCE EDUCATION IN THIS COUNTRY THAN ALL THE GRASSROOTS EFFORTS COMBINED.
  • I AM PROUD OF CBS’S BROADCASTS OF "9/11," WHICH PROVIDED VIEWERS WITH THE UNVARNISHED AND UNCENSORED PORTRAYAL OF NEW YORK CITY FIREFIGHTERS RESPONDING TO THE TERRORIST ATTACK ON THE WORLD TRADE CENTER.
  • AND I AM PROUD THAT PARAMOUNT AND DREAMWORKS’ SAVING PRIVATE RYAN IS ONE OF THE MOST POIGNANT AND POWERFUL FILMS EVER MADE ON THE HORRORS - AND REDEMPTION - OF WAR.

YET ALL OF THESE VIACOM AND CBS PROPERTIES - MTV, CSI, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN - HAVE DRAWN FIRE FROM ORGANIZATIONS THAT PURPORT TO REPRESENT AMERICAN VALUES... AND OUR CHILDREN’S BEST INTERESTS.

ANOTHER SUPREME COURT JUSTICE ROBERT H. JACKSON, WHO INCIDENTALLY WAS CHIEF PROSECUTOR AT THE NUREMBERG TRIALS, ONCE SAID, "THE PRICE OF FREEDOM OF RELIGION, OR OF SPEECH, OR OF THE PRESS, IS THAT WE MUST PUT UP WITH A GOOD DEAL OF RUBBISH."

AS A RESPONSIBLE MEDIA EXECUTIVE - AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, A PARENT AND GRANDPARENT - I HAVE NO INTENTION OF PUSHING RUBBISH, BUT I DEFEND OTHERS’ FREEDOM TO CREATE WHAT SOME, INCLUDING ME, MIGHT NOT LIKE.

GIVE THE GOVERNMENT THE TOOLS TO PUNISH THOSE IT DOESN'T LIKE OR SILENCE WHAT IT DOESN'T WANT TO HEAR, AND YOU UNDERMINE DEMOCRACY. GIVE PEOPLE THE TOOLS TO CHOOSE WHAT THEY SEE AND HEAR, AND YOU ENHANCE DEMOCRACY.

IF THE PUBLIC IS NOT HAPPY WITH A PARTICULAR PROGRAM, THEN THEY WON'T WATCH IT AND IT WILL GO OFF THE AIR. GOVERNMENT CENSORSHIP -- AND BY THIS I MEAN IMPOSING ANY KIND OF BURDEN OR PENALTY ON THOSE WHO PUBLISH PROTECTED SPEECH -- CIRCUMVENTS THIS PROCESS. THIS IS PARTICULARLY PERNITIOUS NOT ONLY BECAUSE IT IS PROHIBITED BY THE CONSTITUTION, BUT ALSO BECAUSE IT CAN BE ABUSED BY THE GOVERNMENT.

WHEN EVERYONE HAS A VOICE... WHEN YOU PROMOTE DIVERSITY AND TOLERANCE AND OPEN-MINDEDNESS... THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED WILL CONVERGE ON THE TRUTH... ON THE TRUE NORTH OF OUR COLLECTIVE MORAL COMPASS AS A SOCIETY.

I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT.

I BELIEVE IN THE MAGIC OF THE HUMAN IMAGINATION AND THE POWER OF ENTERTAINMENT TO OPEN WINDOWS AND TOUCH HEARTS THE WORLD OVER.

I BELIEVE THAT THIS POWER IMPOSES ON US CERTAIN RESPONSIBILITIES TO EXPAND RATHER THAN RESTRICT OUR AUDIENCES’ WORLD VIEW. THE IMAGES WE CREATE TRAVEL THE GLOBE, HELPING SHAPE IDEAS AND DEFINE STANDARDS.

A WELL-TOLD STORY HAS THE CAPACITY TO MAKE US EXPERIENCE LIFE THROUGH THE EYES OF ITS CHARACTERS. THAT IS AN AWESOME POWER - ONE THAT HAS UNLIMITED POTENTIAL TO TEACH EMPATHY AND UNDERSTANDING FOR OTHERS.

SO, LET US RISE ABOVE THE TEMPTATION TO CENSOR OR FINE OR REGULATE THE MOST BASIC AND PRIMARY OF OUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS. NOT ONLY BECAUSE IT IS AN IMPROPER ROLE FOR GOVERNMENT, BUT ALSO BECAUSE IT IS NOT WHAT AMERICANS WANT FROM THEIR GOVERNMENT. RESEARCH CONDUCTED LAST YEAR BY TELEVISION WATCH CONFIRMS THAT PARENTS DO NOT WANT REGULATORS DECIDING WHAT ENTERTAINMENT THEY CAN HAVE IN THEIR HOMES.

INSTEAD, ARM PARENTS WITH THE ABILITY TO BLOCK CONTENT THEY DON’T WANT THEIR CHILDREN TO SEE -- AS WE IN THE INDUSTRY HAVE DONE AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO -- BUT STAY OUT OF THEIR HOMES.

AND, WITH THAT, LET ME SPEED YOU TO YOUR OWN HOMES - AS THE HOUR IS LATE.

IT IS AN HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE TO RECEIVE THIS AWARD AND SPEND THIS EVENING WITH YOU.

THANK YOU.