No TV delay for politics, just profanity

LOS ANGELES - The producer and director of tonight's Oscar telecast said ABC's five-second delay will be used to shield viewers from profanity or nudity but will not interfere with political statements winners may make.

The safeguard measure for the Academy Awards is the latest fallout from the uproar over Janet Jackson's breast-baring Super Bowl performance, which has provoked an investigation by the Federal Communications Commission.

"At the nominees luncheon (this month), I spoke with the nominees and just said that when they come up, they're all under this microscope, unfortunately, because of these events," Oscar telecast producer Joe Roth told reporters.

Asked if the delay could be used to block political statements like documentary filmmaker Michael Moore's scathing criticism last year of President Bush, which drew cheers and boos from the theater audience, Roth responded: "No. It applies to the use of profanity."

The producer, who's head of Revolution Studios, said he wants to encourage freedom and spontaneity, and as long as winners are interesting and generally wholesome, he won't seek to interrupt their speeches.

ABC always maintains a watch over its live events, said Oscar telecast director Louis J. Horvitz, who has worked on the show eight times before.

"ABC standards-and-practices has always gone out on the red carpet and looked at the gowns the women are wearing, and I'm sure if a guy's coming in with a jock strap, they might say something like, "When you photograph him on his entrance, would you do a waist(-up) shot,' " Horvitz joked.

In 1974, David Niven's Oscar introduction of Elizabeth Taylor was suddenly interrupted as a naked trespasser flashing a peace sign raced past him onstage. Niven famously quipped to the audience: "Just think, the only laugh that man will probably ever get is for stripping and showing off his shortcomings."

More innocently, sometimes a female actor shows up in a dress that becomes see-through in the bright stage lights, which happened to an embarrassed Meryl Streep at the recent Golden Globe Awards.

Horvitz said he can deal with that through tighter closeups or adjusted lighting without cutting or blocking the image.

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