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.
The FCC broadcast rules at present are far from tyrannical, and if they apply to cable and satellite the public can only benefit from being deprived of smut.
I, for one, am sick and tired of having my family subjected to M-F on XM.
The FCC broadcast rules at present are far from tyrannical, and if they apply to cable and satellite the public can only benefit from being deprived of smut.
I, for one, am sick and tired of having my family subjected to M-F on XM.
Then how can one justify not having everyone making a middle class income...after all its the kids that suffer. Everyone family should be guaranteed that their breadwinner or welfare recipient should receive at least $50,000 per year, to support the children you know.
If you don't care for my posts, then please ignore them. What I said does relate to the matter at hand.
Protect children first, last, and always.
Are you sure you are not referring to daytime soaps on over the airways free TV?
Stevens is talking about going beyond basic cable, he was specifically referring to Sirrius Radio and XM Radio, both pay channels. For basic cable you can complain to your local cable system, the local municipality that oversees it. If they dont agree that your morals are the community standard then its your problem. TUrn the TV off or threaten your kids with having to watch the 700 Club five hours a day if they get caught watching something they shouldnt be.
I disagree completely. Money has nothing to do with raising good, moral kids. My grandparents, who helped raise me, did not have a dime, but they had sooo much more than that, the things they passed down to me are worth much more than money.
My grandparents did not have a lot but always enough to eat and plenty of love to go around. I wouldn't trade them for the Hilton's or anyone else with a lot of money.
Kids do not suffer because they can't have the latest electronics, kids suffer when they do not have a stable, two-parent home.
Then why do you subscribe to XM?
I went the only venue available to get TV reception in my area - none of the basic stations advertises as having "adult" content. I guess that's illogical to you, even though, if you follow your "logic" to it's different possibilities, if you specifically go out of your way to buy a box of cereal that offers a surprise inside, and you find that the suprise is a picture of two guys having sex, you can't be upset because you went out and spent money for the surprise. If I buy cereal, I want cereal, and if it comes with a surprise, I don't want the surprise to be smut, I want it to be suitable for all ages - just like I want my daytime/primetime TV shows unless I subscribe to packages with express intent to show adult content.
Republicans for censorship. A great group.
Thats the one thing that shocks me the most about politicians of all brands and idealologies. Most don't look a few moves ahead and think, "Hmmm what will happen to the powers I am proposing the government to have in Bill X when "my side" is not the majority?"
I shudder to think what the Hildabeast and her supporters consider as "decent" and "indecent"...I'll tell you one thing...The Rush Limbaugh Show and FR won't be on her "decent" list.
What's next, idiot? Book burning?
You are free to call it anything you wish.
Anything that harms children, and this stuff does, should be shunned in our society.
Go ahead, shun it.
The thread is about LAWS.
Okay I'll bite. How does my watching an R rated movie on cable or reading Playboy magazine harm children? Unlike Michael Jackson, I dont invite children to watch or read with me. Maybe you do.
Right on - time to get control of our Airwaves - regardless if they pay for it or not.
Protect children first, last, and always.
Have fun for as long as it lasts.
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." -- C. S. Lewis
"I shudder to think what the Hildabeast and her supporters consider as "decent" and "indecent".."
I'll agree with that. That's why you have Michael Copps, the democrat at the FCC, pushing anti-indecency legislation. Michael understands that if you get the government's paws on the levers controlling speech, the possibilities are endless and certainly extend to issues beyond porn.
Is Stevens unaware of the V-chip that was forced onto an unwilling public? Why isn't that the solution to this so-called "problem"?
Ah, I'm glad you know what benefits other people better than they do. We can just dispense with that whole individual freedom thing and let you run our lives.
Doing in on your front lawn has nothing to do with pay cable TV and pay radio. Masterbater Stevens was referring to things like using the F word and Janet Jacksons boob, not X rated crap. Give you censors an inch and you will take the whole ten yards.
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