LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - ABC television, backed by Republican Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record) and other leading conservatives, sought on Thursday to keep nervous affiliate stations from deserting a Veterans Day broadcast of the acclaimed World War II film "Saving Private Ryan." Several ABC affiliates, including eight stations owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group and four owned by the Belo Corp., scheduled other programming, citing concerns about profanity and graphic violence in the citing concerns about profanity and graphic violence in the film...

Reluctance on the part of some stations to show the film in prime time reflected heightened skittishness among broadcasters since an industry backlash sparked by Janet Jackson (news)'s breast-baring Super Bowl performance in February.

The FCC recently levied fines totaling $550,000 against 20 CBS-owned stations for airing Jackson's brief flash of nudity during her halftime show.