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FC: Morality in Media demands curb of "indecent" TV shows
From: Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>
Date: Tue, 15 Feb 2000 10:15:17 -0500
NEW YORK, Feb. 14 /U.S. Newswire/ -- "Now is the time for Congress to let the FCC know that it means business about curbing indecent TV programming before the decline in decency standards becomes a total collapse," according to a document just sent by Morality in Media to the Congressional subcommittees with oversight over the Federal Communications Commission. Morality in Media is requesting that the oversight commmittees hold hearings on the FCC's arbitrary requirement that complainants who allege violations of the Federal broadcast indecency law [18 USC 1464] must provide the FCC with a tape or transcript of the alleged indecent programming. "Very few complaints about TV indecency include tapes, because most viewers who make complaints were surprised by the assault and weren't taping the program. The FCC's policy is arbitrary and does not fulfill the Commission's responsibility to 'execute and enforce' the provisions of the Communications Act," says Robert W. Peters, President of MIM. The FCC's policy guarantees that the vast majority of indecency complaints are ignored by the FCC, and discourages viewers and listeners from making complaints. Because of this "See no evil, Hear no evil, Think no evil" policy, standards of decency on broadcast TV continue on their downward spiral. "The precipitous decline has cheapened the quality of life for all Americans, caused untold grief to adults unwittingly subjected to indecency in the privacy of their homes; and adversely affected our nation's youth," Peters says. Not every profanity or mention of sex violates the broadcast indecency law, but it stretches the imagination to believe that little if any of the constant vulgarity, adult sex talk, and promiscuous sexuality on TV is indecent. In MIM's opinion, Congress needs to extend the ban on broadcast indecency to 12 midnight and to enact legislation to curb indecent programming on basic cable. Unless Congress takes measures to ensure that the FCC fulfills its responsibility to enforce the existing indecency law, a new indecency law will be an empty gesture. The memo was sent to all the members of the House Subcommittee on Telecommuncations and the Senate Subcommittee on Communications. The full 14-page document is available on MIM's Web site, www.moralityinmedia.org. --- MORALITY IN MEDIA is a nonprofit national interfaith organization, with headquarters in New York City, working through constitutional means to curb traffic in obscenity and to uphold standards of decency in the mainstream media. ------ Editors: Some computer systems do not recognize the "at" sign. It is an important component of e-mail addresses and should be used in place of the symbol (At) in the contact information above. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- POLITECH -- the moderated mailing list of politics and technology To subscribe: send a message to majordomo () vorlon mit edu with this text: subscribe politech More information is at http://www.well.com/~declan/politech/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------
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- FC: Morality in Media demands curb of "indecent" TV shows Declan McCullagh (Feb 15)