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Tilted Cat Head
Administrator
Location: Manhattan, NY
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This type of fining will bring the fines from the 100's of thousands and millions to the 10's of millions since each incident can be comprised of each market.
So long as the information is clear as to what indecent material is considered, only then will it be fair.
Quote:
House Votes to Increase Indecency Fines
By JONATHAN D. SALANT
Associated Press Writer
Paul says the measure violates the constitutional protection for freedom of speech. (Audio)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The House overwhelmingly passed legislation Thursday substantially increasing the maximum fine for radio and TV indecency.
The vote was 391-22. Similar legislation is pending in the Senate.
"I am tired of hearing parents tell me how they have to cover their children's ears," Rep. Joseph Pitts, R-Pa., said during debate on the measure. "Today, we're saying enough is enough."
The bill would raise the maximum fine for a broadcast license-holder from $27,500 to $500,000. The fine for a performer would jump from $11,000 to $500,000.
Edward O. Fritts, president of the National Association of Broadcasters, noted that the industry has already scheduled an indecency summit for March 31.
"Voluntary industry initiatives are far preferable to government regulation when dealing with programming issues," Fritts said. "NAB does not support the bill as written, but we hear the call of legislators and are committed to taking voluntary action to address this issue."
And Clear Channel Communications, the nation's largest radio station chain, touted its own actions to address indecency.
The company bought equipment to provide for up to a 20-second delay for live broadcasts, announced new standards for its programs, suspended its broadcasts of the Howard Stern show and fired the disc jockey known as "Bubba the Love Sponge," whose programs brought the chain a record $755,000 fine for indecency.
"We hope never to face these higher fines because of the strong policy we've put in place," executive vice president Andrew Levin said. "To the extent it provides an incentive for other broadcasters who have not adopted voluntary guidelines to comply with the law, it may be a good thing."
The measure picked up momentum after the now-infamous Feb. 1 Super Bowl halftime show during which singer Justin Timberlake exposed Janet Jackson's breast to 90 million viewers.
Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., said the bill will give the Federal Communications Commission "the ammunition it needs" to enforce indecency standards.
The Bush administration strongly endorsed the bill in a memo to lawmakers Thursday.
Critics said the legislation would undermine free speech rights.
"We're moving in a direction of undermining the First Amendment," said Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas.
The Senate also has a bill that would raise fines to $500,000. However, that measure goes further, ordering the FCC to look at ways to protect children from violence on television and putting on hold sweeping media ownership changes adopted by the FCC last year.
Federal law and FCC rules prohibit over-the-air radio and TV stations from airing material that refers to sexual and excretory functions between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., when children may be tuned in. There are no such restrictions for cable and satellite TV and satellite radio.
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__________________
I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not.
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