^{Inigo Montoya: "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."}

Free speech to me, being that I am on the radio frequently, means that I am free to say whatever I want within the bounds of evening radio standards. For example, the "F" word is quite unacceptable, and understandably so. The whole batch of four letter words are proscribed, with good reason, and other words like "blowjob" are a bit harder to understand but still, I think, there's a reasonable case to be made for the exclusion from primetime radio and TV. Besides, words games make radio and TV fun, when done well.

But screening for subject matter? That's clearly as far from free speech as you can get. So, I was really surprised when I read this:

"On Friday's Real Time on HBO, Maher explained that CBS approached him to do a 'freeSpeech' segment on the new Evening News. He asked if he could talk about religion but was rejected and told that he would be provided with a list of 'approved' topics,"

Of course, Maher more than likely would have made Couric's audience extremely uncomfortable and quite possibly offended many of them. Maher's views on religion wouldn't sit well with Peoria, as it were. But still, you don't call it "freeSpeech" unless it really is free. Otherwise it's just more of the same corporatized, lukewarm, refried bullshit. I'm glad Maher called CBS out on it. Couric sure is getting off to a great start, eh?