Posted on 03/01/2005 10:01:09 AM PST by Dave S
Senator: Decency Rules Should Apply Pay TV, Radio
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens said on Tuesday he would push to apply broadcast decency standards to subscription television and radio services like cable and satellite.
"Cable is a much greater violator in the indecency area," the Alaska Republican told the National Association of Broadcasters, which represents most local television affiliates. "I think we have the same power to deal with cable as over-the-air" broadcasters.
"There has to be some standard of decency," he said.
Stevens told reporters afterward that he would push legislation to apply the standards to cable and satellite radio and television.
Federal regulations bar broadcast television and radio stations from airing obscene material and restrict indecent material, such as sexually explicit discussions or profanity, to late-night hours when children are less likely to be watching or listening.
But so far those restrictions have not applied to subscription television and radio services offered by companies like Comcast Corp. or Sirius Satellite Radio Inc., which recently signed shock jock Howard Stern.
Stevens said he disagreed "violently" with assertions by the cable industry that Congress does not have the authority to impose limits on what they air.
"If that's the issue they want to take on, we'll take it on and let the Supreme Court decide," he said.
The U.S. House of Representatives has approved legislation to raise fines to $500,000 from $32,500 on television and radio broadcasters that violate indecency limits. The Senate has legislation pending to increase fines as well.
But neither bill has provisions that would extend indecency restrictions to cable and satellite services.
Its not just that the despots don't want to hear it, they also don't want anybody else to hear it either.
Think again, idiot.
Would his rules also apply to movies shown on pay movie channels like HBO? This would make it virtually impossible to watch uncensored R-rated movies without actually renting or buying the movie. Sorry, but America isn't going to go for that.
The senator needs to leave cable alone.
Does he have no clue how to change the channel? Or to turn the TV or radio off if he does not like what is on and read the Congressional Record instead? Or even to insert a compact disc or cassette tape with music or an audio book he might like? Or a DVD or VHS tape?
What is WRONG with these folks inside the Beltway? Does common sense have to be checked at the Beltway?
It has been Democrats like Michael Copps at the FCC that have been pushing the 'indecency' fines, presumably to sucker half-wits like Ted Stevens to embrace draconian anti-free speech legislation.
Stevens should be voted out of office at the first opportunity.
This Congressman is on a power trip, and needs to take some Ritalin.
I get sick of hearing porno, etc....being referred to as "adult entertainment", or "adult bookstores", etc.... I am an adult and I don't partake of those activities....I think is should be called "pervert bookstores" and "pervert entertainment". Anything that harms children, and this stuff does, should be shunned in our society.
#&@% him!
This approach is seriously unhealthy for the country. It's how we got CFR -- "pass any law you want, the SCOTUS will fix it later."
Oh, is that what that little button is supposed to be for?
Vote your heart then by not subscribing to pay cable and let the rest of us perverts enjoy what we damn well want to watch. We dont tell you that you cant watch the 700 Club.
If only this stuff did not harm children....how can one justify this kind of stuff knowing that children are being harmed?
Last time I checked...
But it seems to escape the attention of Congress and the PTC. It seems like Xander Cage needs to do something with Ted Stevens's car.
"Ted, you're a bad man. And you know what we do to bad men? We punish them. Ted... you're about to enter... the Xander Zone."
If all there is to it is "It's for the children!", you're not going to get much traction here, IMHO.
No, there doesn't. Except for the standard applied by the consumer of media - "do I want to pay for this, or not?"
For once we can seek advice from Iran and Saudi Arabia. These two countries and the former Taleban can offer super advice on setting up morality police.;>)
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