Apparently to commemorate Super Bowl week – remember Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction during half-time at the 2004 game? – the Federal Communications Commission last week issued fines of $27,500 each to 52 ABC TV affiliates – totaling more than $1.4 million – for an "indecent" scene in a Feb. 25, 2003, episode of "NYPD Blue" in which the back of a nude woman was shown.

The 52 stations fined were all in the Mountain and Central time zones where the episode was shown beginning at 9 p.m., outside the FCC’s so-called adult time period that starts at 10 p.m. But Tucson’s KGUN 9 isn’t among the 52 affiliates being asked to pay a fine.

Why? Because nobody here complained to the FCC.

ABC says it will fight the fines, arguing they are "inconsistent with prior precedent from the Commission, the indecency statute and the First Amendment."

Election night

It looks as if the one place to turn for Super Tuesday presidential election coverage combining Arizona results with those from the other 21 states is KGUN 9. Among the broadcast networks it was the only one planning continuing coverage for all of prime time. KGUN will provide some local news cut-ins and graphically display Arizona returns.

As for the other local stations:

Both NBC and CBS are planning an hour of election coverage. NBC’s will air at 8 p.m. on KVOA, CBS’ will air at 9 p.m. on KOLD 13 and both will include Arizona’s vote.

Without Fox providing much in the way of coverage on its broadcast network, KMSB 11 will rely on its own resources but that includes its sister station KTVK in Phoenix and a bureau in Washington, D.C. The station will have local graphic inserts during prime time entertainment and then, of course, go into more detail on its regular 9 p.m. newscast.

• A couple of veteran journalists joined the newsroom staff at KMSB 11 last week. Sal Quijada, who left KGUN 9 last month, is the new weekend news coordinator. This marks the second time Quijada has worked with Bob Richardson, Fox 11’s managing editor. The last time was in 1984, when Richardson was news director at KVOA 4. Quijada worked there until 1990 when he went over to KGUN... Also joining the KMSB staff is Mark Poepsel, formerly of KWBA 58/cable 8 and KOLD 13, who was named news Internet coordinator. Poepsel has been an adjunct instructor at the University of Arizona since leaving KOLD about a year ago.

• Dee Cortez is back on the air doing morning traffic reports on KOLD 13. She takes over for Mark Bateman, who left to devote more time to his video editing business Flicko’s Video Workshop. Cortez had plenty of experience working as a Metro Traffic reporter before her short-lived teaming on the C.K. morning show that was dumped by Hot 98.3 due to low ratings. (C.K.’s ratings were bad before Cortez showed up.)

You don’t call, you don’t write

The PR Store is gone. With much promise, the local franchise opened in December 2006 but didn’t make it a year. It apparently closed in November. Mike Butler, one of the partners in the national franchise headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., acknowledged the closing saying it was unfortunate and the company still sees Tucson and Arizona as prime growth opportunities for the firm.

Husband-and-wife franchisees Suzanne and Danny Hernandez had plans to open additional PR Store outlets in Oro Valley, Scottsdale, Phoenix, Chandler, Glendale and Tempe. Butler says none of those will open.

PR Store is an interesting concept bringing marketing, advertising and public relations to small business by operating just as many of them do, out of store front. The Tucson store was at 5608 E. Broadway.

‘Desert Speaks’ challenge

Tucson’s Stonewall Foundation, which supports many arts causes, has issued a $90,000 challenge grant to KUAT-TV 6 for production of its nationally distributed series, "The Desert Speaks."

Station officials say the foundation has supported the station and "The Desert Speaks" in the past but this time it is hoping the challenge grant will help in attracting additional support from other foundations and individuals.

"The Desert Speaks" is in production on its 18th season. The weekly series, hosted by David Yetman, airs locally at 8 p.m. Thursdays on KUAT-TV. It started as a program under the auspices of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum to teach about local desert plants and wildlife but has grown and now travels to deserts around the world. For the last five years, the show has been videotaped in high definition. Among its awards are 24 Emmys.