CBS Will Stream 9/11 Documentary Online As Stations Fret About FCC

With some 10 percent of the CBS affiliates refusing to show repeat documentary “9/11″ in prime time because of possible FCC profanity fines, the network is taking the still unusual step of streaming the two-hour show tonight. In a nod to affiliates participating in prime time, CBS will wait until the West Coast feed ends at 10 p.m. Pacific before making the award-winning film, which includes follow-up interviews with the firefighters involved, available online.
This is another example of how the spread of broadband is changing the playing field. Protestors and fines can make problems on air but — so far — the internet provides an alternative made more powerful with increased access to high-speed data. The next step: making online access routine instead of a news story.

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