FCC chair to cable and satellite TV: Clean up your act or else

ap on San Diego Union Tribune ^ | 11/29/05 | Jennifer Kerr - ap

[TomGuy]

I have 70 channels on extended basic cable.

I would glady give up 40 of the junk ones so I did not have to wade through them to get through the 30 semi-decent/viewable ones.

a la carte should be mandatory. The only trouble with that is subscribers would have to use digital cable, rather than analog -- and the cable co automatically bumps up the cost of digital for the box, etc.

Still, dropping 40 junk channels (and their current costs) could make up for the added digital connections.

[Walkenfree]

You may be smart enough to turn the channel, but are you fast enough? We were watching the Super Bowl when Janet Jackson had her "accident"? Our grandchildren were speechless, and immediately waited for Grandma & Grandpa's reaction.
We were speechless too!
We mainly object to vulgar language & violence; We can handle a boob now and then.

[meyer]

the FCC might be able to fanagle their way into regulating cable, but I would say that satellites are well out of their jurisdiction.

[NJ_gent]

"the sad fact is that most parents let their TVs raise their children. I’m glad to see the FCC do something about this."

You're happy to see the government step in and parent children in lieu of parents handling things themselves?

Sure you're on the right site?

[TomGuy]

on-screen station logos

I was watching FoxNews a few days ago, and I swear I saw live video. It was a small area in the background that seeped through between the circulating FoxNews box and the red Alert banner, and the blue 'you are too stupid to understand what this picture is about, so we are labelling it for you' label.

The control room screwed up -- and allowed some video to seep through.


[end sarcasm]

[madprof98]

Cute, I guess, but not accurate. The FCC is telling the companies to come up with a way for customers to CHOOSE (you libertarians love that word) which channels are available in their homes--and which will not be available, especially since some of those that come with available packages now are grossly inappropriate for youthful viewers. It makes great sense, except to bilious old farts libertarians.

[NJ_gent]

"We were watching the Super Bowl when Janet Jackson had her "accident"? Our grandchildren were speechless, and immediately waited for Grandma & Grandpa's reaction. We were speechless too!"

I envy the day when people can responsibly afford to worry about children getting a 1/8th of a second blurry glimpse of a woman's bare breast on television. If that's the worst thing that happens to them, they're in damn fine shape.

"We mainly object to vulgar language & violence; We can handle a boob now and then."

Which is a far more sensible position to take than "oh, sure I let my 6 year old watch Die Hard 3, but my God, did you see the Super Bowl thing?!". However, it's rather easy to identify programs on television which are going to have violence or language that are inappropriate for children. Many programs have ratings right up in the corner. Digital cable and satellite services include ratings and synopses of programs available at any time. There are also channels that specifically cater to children. I've yet to see something inappropriate on Nick.

[NCC-1701]

Not sure if that WAS sarcasm. I've seen some shows where you were lucky enough to see the car chase or whatever it was being shown. Sporting events are a pain to endure because of all the view-obstructing graphics. Sheeesh, enough already.

[NJ_gent]

"The FCC is telling the companies"

Ok, so we've identified the problem...

"It makes great sense, except to bilious old farts libertarians."

It makes great sense to those who can't get enough Big Guv.

"The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'" - President Ronald Reagan

How quickly we forget his guidance.

[Melas]

Lovely. It's like watching the Soviet Union emerge. These so-called pro-family groups present the greatest threat to freedom this nation has ever faced.

[Racehorse]

The FCC should go take a flying leap. They have no jurisdiction whatsoever.

Not yet, perhaps.

Even so, Committee Co-Chair Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, told the forum that lawmakers want to see the industry help protect children from indecent and violent programming.

"If you don't come up with an answer, we will," he said.

Congress is considering several bills that would boost fines.

[Melas]

This is just the growth of big, tyrannical government. Nothing more, and certainly nothing laudable. This is downright sickening, and more so that any freeper would applaud it. Disgusting.

[Melas]

Ala carte is only going to benefit me if it lowers my bill. If the breaking up of tiers means that I'm going to wind up paying more for less, then it's a no go for me. Unfortunately, breaking up of teirs could easily mean just taht, higher prices per channel.

[madprof98]

I love it how you guys invoke Reagan when you really want to defend unrestricted access to porn and drugs and stuff like that. You're about "freedom" and "choice" in about the same way that your heroes, the abortionists, are. It would take a strong stomach to live in the society you would create; I sometimes doubt even the most bilious old fart could do it.

[RWR8189]

The FCC should be stripped of all authority over content and exist only to ensure broadcasters are sending out their radio and television singals correctly.

If you want to shield your children from smut, take it into your own hands, leave Big Brother out of it.

[Melas]

I've never understood why people feel such a strong need to get their rocks off watching crap of this type on TV anyway.

What makes you think even for a moment that your ability to understand, or not understand why someone else might find it entertaining is in any way requisite for the existence of the programming? In other words, who died and made you supreme ruler who's permission everyone should seek?

[madprof98]

It's like watching the Soviet Union emerge. These so-called pro-family groups present the greatest threat to freedom this nation has ever faced.

Oh, man, you missed the TALKING POINT. Your socially conservative GOP compatriots are NAZIS, not communists. (But calling us Taliban is also OK because, really, we know in our hearts that supporting the unbundling of cable channels is just like 9-11--or even worse.)

[Melas]

At least in my area, you have to pay extra for the Spanish programming. It's not even available on the very expensive platinum package that I subscribe too. As a fan of latin music videos, I'm somewhat dissapointed, but not so dissapointed that I'm willing to pay the price to get it.

[Melas]

That my friend is the scary part. They're begging congress to expand their authority to cable. XM radio will be next. These bastards will never be satisfied.

[nightdriver]

"the FCC might be able to fanagle their way into regulating cable, but I would say that satellites are well out of their jurisdiction."

Wasn't there a case a few years ago where some state like Tennessee or Alabama, or somewhere, brought a lawsuit against not only some porno satellite channel, but also the "stars" themselves?

Seems like someone thought that broadcasting smut onto "their" turf was a punishable offense.