Republican Lawmaker Wants To Extend Indecency Rules To Pay TV, Radio

[Nbadan]

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.
...
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.

Boston (http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2005/03/01/senator_decency_rules_should_apply_pay_tv_radio/)

Anyone remember when Sperminatar said it would never come to this?

:lol

I read in the Washington Post today that Senator Ted Stevens wants to extend indecency regulations to cover cable and satellite television and radio channels that operate outside of the government's control. How can Republicans say they want less government intervention when they want to control the 'private' broadcast media?

[Spurminator]

Anyone remember when Sperminatar said it would never come to this?

Before you jizz all over yourself... Has it come to this?

I never said there weren't those who would like to see it.

In any case, this is a nutty agenda that will fail miserably.

[Sec24Row7]

Yeah this guy is just as much of a nut as Barbara Boxer dan.

We have them too, only thing is, we aren't proud of ours.

[JoeChalupa]

I'm not proud of Barbara Boxer so please don't lump us all together.

[exstatic]

Man, is Sirius going to be PISSED if they paid all of that cash for a PG version of Howard Stern. :lol

This is just typical GOP chest thumping, like when they say that they will do something to stop abortion, yet, they've appointed the lion's share of the SC justices over the last 25 years, and have both houses of Congress and the WH. What are you waiting for? At least PASS a law outlawing abortion and let the courts at it!

[2centsworth]

It doesn't have a chance in hell of passing. There may be a total of 3 people who would support such a proposterous bill.

[exstatic]

There may be a total of 3 people who would support such a proposterous bill.
And yet, by all of the hubbub, GOP platform planks, etc, you'd think it was priority one. You've made my point for me. It's just chest thumping.

[JoeChalupa]

I know the Sopranos just wouldn't be the same if this bill passed.

[Spurminator]

You guys love making this a partisan issue.

Let's get in our little time machines and go back to last year, when those of us who aren't only looking for Stupid Republican Congressman Tricks last heard rumblings of proposed Cable Indecency legislation....

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (http://www.rcfp.org/news/2004/0310hr3717.html)


The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee on Tuesday came one vote shy of vastly increasing the Federal Communications Commission's authority. Defeated 12-11, an amendment to the proposed Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act would have empowered the FCC to regulate cable television broadcasts.

The Commerce Committee did approve amending certain provisions of the act, including more severe penalties for indecency violations and allowing the FCC to fine individuals as well as broadcasters. The committee also conditionally approved an amendment that would allow violent programming to be aired only between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Sen. John Breaux (D-La.) proposed the cable amendment, which would have allowed the FCC to regulate cable and satellite television programming -- on such stations as MTV and ESPN -- but not channels viewers choose to pay additionally for, such as HBO and Showtime.

John Dunbar, project manager for the Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit public policy organization specializing in government accountability, said the proposal would have had a dramatic effect on broadcasting.

"Ninety percent of people get their television through cable," Dunbar said. "I don't think there's a question that there would be an effect on the dissemination of content in television if a muzzle was placed on cable broadcasters."

Sponsored by Sen. Ernest Hollings (D-S.C.), the so-called "safe harbor" from violence amendment is contingent on the results of an ongoing FCC study that is gauging the effectiveness of content-blocking technology, such as the V-chip, in television sets. If the study finds such technology insufficient in warning parents about specific programs, the amendment will be added to the bill.

...

[JoeChalupa]

I just don't think it'll pass.

[Hook Dem]

http://tinypic.com/202wll :lmao :lmao

[2centsworth]

And yet, by all of the hubbub, GOP platform planks, etc, you'd think it was priority one. You've made my point for me. It's just chest thumping.
I follow the GOP pretty closely censoring paid cable programs has absolutely no traction. Now "flashing" during what is sold as family programming should be penalized. I don't want to watch Finding Nemo with my kid and out of nowhere tits pop up on the screen. I don't mind it personally, but don't want my children exposed to such.