FC: Morality in Media demands curb of "indecent" TV shows

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

 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.


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