Bush Creates Indecency Legislation?
Bush signs law increasing fines for indecent broadcasts
June 15,2006
WASHINGTON (AP) —President Bush signed legislation Thursday that will cost broadcasters dearly when raunchy programming exceeds "the bounds of decency."
At a signing ceremony for the new law increasing by tenfold the maximum fine for indecency, Bush said that it will force industry figures to "take seriously their duty to keep the public airwaves free of obscene, profane and indecent material."
Accompanying the president at the ceremony was a crowd of lawmakers who worked to pass the bill in Congress.
For raunchy talk or a racy show of skin, the Federal Communications Commission can now fine a broadcaster up to $325,000 per incident.
Approval of the bill culminates a two-year effort to get tough on sexually explicit material and offensive language on radio and television following Janet Jackson's 2004 Super Bowl "wardrobe malfunction."
The FCC recently denied a petition of reconsideration from CBS Corp.-owned stations facing $550,000 in fines over the Jackson incident, in which she briefly revealed a breast during a halftime concert.
The agency recently handed down its biggest fine, $3.3 million, against more than 100 CBS affiliates that aired an episode of the series "Without a Trace" that simulated an orgy scene. That fine is now under review.
The FCC has received increasing complaints about lewd material over the airwaves, and has responded with fines jumping from $440,000 in 2003 to almost $8 million in 2004.
"The problem we have is that the maximum penalty that the FCC can impose under current law is just $32,500 per violation," Bush said. "And for some broadcasters, this amount is meaningless. It's relatively painless for them when they violate decency standards."
The bill does not apply to cable or satellite broadcasts, and does not try to define what is indecent. The FCC says indecent material is that which contains sexual or excretory material that does not rise to the level of obscenity.
The legislation, while facing little resistance in Congress, had detractors warning of problems in defining what is indecent and of the erosion of First Amendment rights.
Under FCC rules and federal law, radio and over-the-air television stations may not air obscene material at any time, and may not air indecent material between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. when children are more likely to be in the audience.
"Unfortunately, in recent years, broadcast programming has too often pushed the bounds of decency," Bush said. "The language is becoming coarser during the times when it's more likely children will be watching television. It's a bad trend, a bad sign."
Note:
It is getting pretty bad when you have to have morality media legislation so broadcasters don’t use obscene, profane and indecent material; what happened in America to moral fortitude?
Is morality in America that far gone, that some people has forgotten how to be decent people. This kind of article does give a bleak picture.
June 15,2006
WASHINGTON (AP) —President Bush signed legislation Thursday that will cost broadcasters dearly when raunchy programming exceeds "the bounds of decency."
At a signing ceremony for the new law increasing by tenfold the maximum fine for indecency, Bush said that it will force industry figures to "take seriously their duty to keep the public airwaves free of obscene, profane and indecent material."
Accompanying the president at the ceremony was a crowd of lawmakers who worked to pass the bill in Congress.
For raunchy talk or a racy show of skin, the Federal Communications Commission can now fine a broadcaster up to $325,000 per incident.
Approval of the bill culminates a two-year effort to get tough on sexually explicit material and offensive language on radio and television following Janet Jackson's 2004 Super Bowl "wardrobe malfunction."
The FCC recently denied a petition of reconsideration from CBS Corp.-owned stations facing $550,000 in fines over the Jackson incident, in which she briefly revealed a breast during a halftime concert.
The agency recently handed down its biggest fine, $3.3 million, against more than 100 CBS affiliates that aired an episode of the series "Without a Trace" that simulated an orgy scene. That fine is now under review.
The FCC has received increasing complaints about lewd material over the airwaves, and has responded with fines jumping from $440,000 in 2003 to almost $8 million in 2004.
"The problem we have is that the maximum penalty that the FCC can impose under current law is just $32,500 per violation," Bush said. "And for some broadcasters, this amount is meaningless. It's relatively painless for them when they violate decency standards."
The bill does not apply to cable or satellite broadcasts, and does not try to define what is indecent. The FCC says indecent material is that which contains sexual or excretory material that does not rise to the level of obscenity.
The legislation, while facing little resistance in Congress, had detractors warning of problems in defining what is indecent and of the erosion of First Amendment rights.
Under FCC rules and federal law, radio and over-the-air television stations may not air obscene material at any time, and may not air indecent material between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. when children are more likely to be in the audience.
"Unfortunately, in recent years, broadcast programming has too often pushed the bounds of decency," Bush said. "The language is becoming coarser during the times when it's more likely children will be watching television. It's a bad trend, a bad sign."
Note:
It is getting pretty bad when you have to have morality media legislation so broadcasters don’t use obscene, profane and indecent material; what happened in America to moral fortitude?
Is morality in America that far gone, that some people has forgotten how to be decent people. This kind of article does give a bleak picture.
posted by HRM Deborah of Israel and the Messenger of Peace at 6:56 AM
3 Comments:
Basically man is depraved no matter what country or what era. In the early days after the movie camera was invented (when things were still black and white and no sound) one of the early things man wanted to use if for was indencency. Among Western countries America has done the best at keeping its indecency in isolated places, but that is slipping and becoming more in our faces on TV and in our neighborhoods.
That in our face, is why I believe this legislation was passed because apprently american media do not know morality when it comes to a global audience.
Common decency and morality has nothing to do with sexual repression, where you realize it or not if you get the profanity and nudity out of the media, rape, divorce, child molestation, fornication just to name a few; the rate of this happening would drop significantly. I firmly believe that among young people the suicide rate would drop also.
I have never approved of the exploitation of women’s physical form because men tend to disrespect them as people or forget to see them as real people. When the so called Sexual Revolution started it was not just the women that was the loser’s, but men also because of the lack of respect towards men which increased divorce rates, caused many times extra marital affairs and the growing rise of illegitimate children with all the unwed mother’s and the many father’s who choose not to take responsibility for these children; otherwise, the break-up of homes and families.
If you wish and experience of seeing a little breast once in awhile, I suggest you go visit the local Red Light district!
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