Dirty business

San Diego — The Federal Communications Commission is using an old censorship case involving San Diego's KGB, now owned by Texas-based Clear Channel Communications, as an example of how not to run a radio station. Last week, the FCC released new guidelines regarding what it calls "Broadcast Indecency," citing two 1992 cases of dirty lyrics in songs aired on KGB that resulted in hefty fines. One song, entitled "Candy Rapper," included graphic lyrics that substituted the brand names of candy bars for various body parts and sexual acts. Among milder passages were ones such as "This little Twix had the Red Hots" and "She started to scream, 'O'Henry! O'Henry!'" The song ended with "Sure enough, nine months later, out popped a Baby Ruth." Concluded the government regulators, "While the passages arguably consist of double-entendre and indirect references, the language used in each passage was understandable and clearly capable of a specific sexual meaning and, because of the context, the sexual import was inescapable." In the case of the "Sit on My Face Song," the agency said, "The song was found to be actionably indecent despite the English accent and 'ambient noise,' because the lyrics were sufficiently understandable." The full and uncensored lyrics are available on the FCC's website. Meanwhile, a panel from the National Academy of Science is reported to be heading to San Diego next week to discuss pornography on the Internet ... London's Express newspaper is poking fun at the San Diego City Council's ban on use of the word "minority." "The preferred phrases for ethnic groups are 'brothers' or 'sisters' (it's still okay to be male or female) and there is considerable support for the idea. This is California, after all," jokes the paper's Toby Moore. "The council Rules Committee is to consider banning the word 'majority' at a meeting to be held next month." ... San Diego library development manager William Sannwald is running for president of the American Library Association. "I feel that school libraries are probably the most underserved group in the country," he recently told a group of librarians. "The San Diego Unified School District has seen a decline in service, and that puts pressure on the public library."

Cash and carry San Diego city manager Mike Uberuaga reports in his latest conflict-of-interest filing that he was given two tickets valued at $99 to a Chargers game by his neighbor, Julie Breslau. In exchange, the disclosure says, he gave Breslau three tickets to Disneyland worth $132. Uberuaga also reports getting a dinner worth $75 from Sempra Energy and two golf passes from the Century Club valued at $160 ... Bjossa the whale is finally heading for Sea World. Last month the 23-year-old orca, the last remaining whale at the Vancouver Aquarium, got a permit from the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service to head south. The whale, captured off Iceland about 20 years ago, has been causing controversy ever since. After a public outcry in 1991, the animal was no longer required to perform tricks, reports the Vancouver Sun. That will change at Sea World, where Bjossa, said to be "selectively friendly" to people, is slated to become part of the show. The whale's late-night airlift from Vancouver is set for sometime between April 21 and April 28.

Rocky relationship San Diego County's Rick Rockwell, the middle-aged comedian whose career picked up a second wind when he appeared as the groom on the first and only episode of Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire? is getting yet another round of publicity in Canada. The Vancouver Sun reports that Rockwell had alleged that a man shoved him during an argument last summer over Rockwell's date in Vancouver's trendy Yaletown district. But charges were dropped last Thursday after Rockwell failed to show up in court to testify ... North County Republican congressman Darrell Issa has told the Industry Standard that he failed to get a choice committee assignment, and the reason may be that he has a safe seat and doesn't need to tap lobbyists for campaign cash as much as some of his peers. "Without disparaging any member, some of it may be the sexiness or the ability to raise funds that comes from it rather than a real interest in the issues."

Contributor: Matt Potter