Why was it done away with?
Posted on 04/04/2013 4:13:16 PM PDT by Morgana
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 4, 2013 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The FCC is seeking comments from the public as they consider relaxing their obscenity standards for broadcast television and radio. If adopted the new, lower standards would allow brief “non-sexual” nudity and isolated expletives even during prime time, when most families are typically watching with their children.
Currently, broadcasters face heavy fines for violations of the indecency policy, which bans strong curse words and most nudity. But as media culture grows coarser, the backlog of reported offenses has grown unmanageable for the FCC, leading Chairman Julius Genachowski to order the Enforcement Bureau to reduce the backlog by focusing only on “egregious cases” and dismissing as many of the others as they can.
Since September 2012, the Bureau has reduced its case load by 70 percent, according to a memo released Monday by the FCC. More than a million indecency complaints have been dismissed, many of them because the statute of limitations had expired or they were considered “too stale to pursue.”
Now, the Commission is seeking public comment on whether or not they should permanently relax the indecency standard to include only the most egregious offenses.
Tim Wildmon, president of the American Family Association, is urging those concerned about the impact of the proposed policy on children to take advantage of the public comment period and tell the FCC not to relax the rules.
“American society is moving further and further away from the Biblical standards of morals and decency set by God, to the point that we have to worry about what our children view in the supermarket checkout, in their school textbooks, and now even in their own homes on television and radio,” said Wildmon. “We’re urging the FCC to uphold high decency standards in entertainment in order to protect America’s children and families.”
Specifically, the FCC is asking citizens to weigh in on how much cursing is too much, and whether nudity should be treated differently than swearing. Citizens are also invited to offer their thoughts on anything else having to do with the indecency standards.
The filing period lasts only through the end of the month.
Comments may be submitted to the FCC online by using the Electronic Filing System and referencing Proceeding No. 13-86, or by referencing GN Docket No. 13-86 through mail at:
Commission’s Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20554
For additional instructions and ways to contact the FCC, read their press release here.
Watch last night episode of "The Americans" and tell me they don't already have porn on network TV.
Some of the better written shows are replete with graphic sexual images and language. I record some of them on my computer and edit them so they can be watchable, I shouldn’t have to do that because the story is the same with out all the filth.
Most of the trash they produce is net losers, but they keep pumping it out and occasionally they produce a money winner so they can continue pumping out the filth. It is called propaganda.
If you have responsible programmers but we don’t. Hollywood has no values and is intent on dragging the rest of the country down to their level. Broadcast TV is already degenerate enough - how low can they go?
Many industries need regulation. How about nudity in newspapers? Can students use any language they wish in school? Sometimes we need rules.
You sir are a moron. There is no such thing as free market, there are markets that are ignored as inconsequential and then there are the government controlled markets.
Do you have children?
Why was it done away with?
My guess - liberals.
You might give a few examples of an industry that you think is not currently regulated.
People still watch prime-time TV? How very 20th century.
Only when it's sports. But that would really be difficult to give up, at least for me. Big screen and HD have really made televised sports awesome IMHO.
I remember that!
with slo-mo-and pause on my DVR, there is no brief nudity...
“Many industries need regulation. How about nudity in newspapers? Can students use any language they wish in school? Sometimes we need rules.”
Less regulation is always better.
In this case, large corporations like Coca-Cola, GM, Apple. P&G, McDonald’s, Yum! Brands and BoA are not going to buy network ad time of the networks are broadcasting porn. If they do not buy the ad time. the programming will not take place.
And yes, students can use what ever language they like in school. For example, in Los Angeles, there are almost 100 languages spoken in the public schools.
“If a TV channel shows an X rated movie, they need to ensure the age of everyone watching.”
First, the networks would not be able to sell advertising time for X rated programming.
Secondly, TV networks cannot be responsible for everyone watching a TV just as auto companies cannot be responsible for everyone who drives their cars and firearm manufacturers cannot be held liable for everyone who uses their guns.
PTC Responds to FCC’s Proposal to Limit Broadcast Decency Enforcement
Release Date: 4/1/2013
LOS ANGELES (April 1, 2013) - The Parents Television Council (PTC) responded to the news today that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will open up a public comment period about whether to change the FCC’s rule on indecent programming and only pursue “egregious” indecency complaints from the public.
PTC President Tim Winter said, “The FCC’s announcement today is deeply vexing for at least three reasons: It unnecessarily weakens a decency law that withstood a ferocious, ten-year constitutional attack waged by the broadcast industry. It invites yet another wave of special interest pressure to obviate the intent of Congress and the will of the American people. And it connotes a change in indecency enforcement policy at the FCC that nobody knew about, with the ‘egregious’ standard apparently having been adopted unilaterally by the Enforcement Bureau or perhaps by the Chairman himself.
“On behalf of millions of families, the PTC firmly believes that the FCC should not limit indecency enforcement only to ‘egregious’ vs. isolated instances. The FCC is supposed to represent the interests of the American public, not the interests of the entertainment industry.
“Either material is legally indecent or it is not. It is unnecessary for indecent content to be repeated many times in order to be actionable, and it is unwise for the FCC to pursue a new course which will guarantee nothing but a new rash of new litigation.
“An ‘egregious’ standard will most certainly be challenged by the broadcast networks who continue to demand the elimination of any decency standard whatsoever. The Supreme Court stated that the networks were on notice as to the Commission’s enforcement policy going forward, so why would the FCC alter it now?
http://w2.parentstv.org/Main/News/Detail.aspx?docID=2771
I am always disappointed that Christians feel we have no say in society and that the Hollywood liberals can continue to degrade our culture and we just have to accept it. I am thankful for groups like Parents Television Council who at least attempt to stand up for what is right.
The latter are not pushed into households. If the gun manufacturers delivered guns to someone, they are obligated to find out if the recipient is old enough to acquire the weapon. It’s the same with car dealers. They don’t drive out to a house and deliver a car to a 9 year-old.
Hoisted on your own petard.
Do I want the Federal Government to prevent the peddlers of immoral shows from being able to corrupt the youth of the nation ?
Yes. Under the General Welfare clause of the US Constitution and consistent with the manner in which regulation of decency standards were implemented in this country not so long ago.
Arguing that the nation will be worse off if the US doesn’t let kids get exposed to this sort of filth is lost on me.
I advocate a return to the manner in which our constitution used to be understood and a retreat from the way the closet marxists have twisted it to decide it means that morality and faith must be banished from the public square, and from all parts of this nation.
Original Intent.
There is a plethora of frequencies and amplitudes passing through the air, but unless you have the TOOL to utilize them, which YOU are ultimately responsible, they are harmless.
Not that that changes the point that parents are responsible for their own brood, I have only nephews.
Don’t try to tell me there’s nothing to do to stop what goes on in your OWN HOME, especially with the tools/gadgets we have today (EG: parental controls/etc.).
A child cannot be held responsible for what is pushed at them.
“Yes. Under the General Welfare clause of the US Constitution...”
You mean this:
“The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States”
That is the one that forced Obamacare and other confiscatory taxes upon us.
Not a whole of conservatives sing the praises of the General Welfare Clause.
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