As a result of the recent FCC crackdown on 'indecent' programming which included large fines for Janet Jackson's revealing performance at the Super Bowl last February, several ABC affiliates nationwide have declined to air Steven Spielberg's World War II epic, 'Saving Private Ryan' at 8:00 PM tonight. The network is showing the film unedited as part of a Veterans Day tribute.

The network is planning on giving an advisory about the graphic violence and rough language used in the film during every commercial break but for some station owners, this was not enough.

The stations that chose not to air the film were located in major cities across the country like Detroit, Cleveland, Tampa, Dallas, Phoenix, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Des Moines, New Orleans and many others.

A spoleswoman for the FCC said they would not make any decision before the movie airs despite receiving calls from station owners who had questions about the film. 'If we get a complaint, we'll act on it,' was all the FCC spokeswoman said.

The refusal to rule beforehand is unusual since 'Saving Private Ryan' was aired uncut on Veterans Day in 2001 and 2002. The FCC levied no fines on either occasion although some stations said they did receive complaints from some viewers and that this was taken into consideration when they made the decision not to air the film.

Instead of 'Saving Private Ryan', some stations will be airing lighter fare such as 'Return to Mayberry' and 'Coming to America'.