Jackson 'nipplegate' leads to delayed Grammy show tape
Following Janet Jackson’s surprise breast-baring on the American football Super Bowl halftime show, CBS television said it would institute a video delay system to avoid any recurrence at Sunday’s Grammy Awards.
CBS technicians were scrambling to invent the software – something more than five-second audio delay the network has used to bleep out swear words, like when Eminem performed on the Grammys two years ago.
Meanwhile, CBS may ask that Jackson and Justin Timberlake be banned from the Grammys if the network concludes the musicians fully intended to give Jackson the extra exposure on Sunday, said a network executive.
Variously referred to as “Nipplegate” and the “bra-ha-ha” the one-second Super Bowl flashing continued to cause reverberations yesterday.
MTV boss Tom Freston, whose network produced the halftime show, bitterly complained about being deceived by Jackson and Federal Communications Commission chief Michael Powell said the entire show angered him.
At the end of their duet, Timberlake snatched off part of Jackson’s bustier on stage, revealing a breast clad only in a sun-shaped “nipple shield” to some 89 million viewers.
Jackson’s spokeswoman, Jennifer Holiner, said a red lace garment was supposed to remain when Timberlake tore off the outer covering. But widespread questions remained about the intent.
Timberlake, who is nominated for five Grammy Awards, is scheduled to perform on Sunday’s TV show. Jackson is supposed to present an award.
Whether they appear or not, CBS censors will have their fingers on a new delay system.
“Unfortunately, we cannot count on those who appear on our air to live up to our standards,” said Martin Franks, CBS executive vice president.
Technicians were trying to come up with something more viewer-friendly than just fading to a blank screen if they want something off the air, he said.
Even with Christina Aguilera – who kissed Madonna onstage at the MTV Video Music Awards last summer – also scheduled to perform, Grammy producers have not changed any plans, said Ron Roecker, spokesman for the Recording Academy.
“They’re musicians,” he said. “They’re passionate about what they’re doing and we can’t be 100% in control of the action. We don’t anticipate there being issues.”
CBS faces a federal investigation into whether the Super Bowl show violated decency laws, with potential fines of up to $27,500 (€21,900). If applied to each CBS station, the fine could reach into the millions.
