Thoughts? I was certainly appauled by this, BUT, I think parents should be watching tv with their kids and be the ultimate censors, not the gobberment.
While I agree that it takes a parent to raise a child, the FCC does have some obligation to put some type of limit on things that traverse the public air waves. I could be watching my child and supervising their TV viewing, but if I am watching prime time TV with my kid and a public network, during prime time, decides they want to show something I would not normally want my child to see, what am I to do? I take the assumption that during prime time on the public air waves, I am not going to see questionable material. However this is rarely the case. This is why I have satelite, so I can watch "R" shows to my hearts content. At least with satelite and cable, you know what you are in for. Anyway, NBC, CBS, and ABC have nothing but crap on half the time anyway. I don't really watch network tv. Just an FYI, cable/sat are not regulated by the FCC. So if you want uncensored TV, the best bet is cable/sat. That along with the great childrens programming they offer, it can't be beat. Noggin, Nick, and HBO family are great networks that offer some wonderful shows that I know are not only going to be entertaining, but educational for my kid. Ultimately the FCC seems more hell bent on making an example to appease, than they do simply enforcing rules and regulations that are already on the books. If they would just stick to upholding the policies they already have in place rather than being so lax and then going on a shit fit when someone complains, we probably would not be at this juncture.
The FCC didn't go far enough. They need to start handing out more fines and pulling a lot more content from radio, newspapers, television and movies. While they're at it, they should be checking the local comedy clubs too, for any jokes that seem to cross the line. We don't want anybody saying anything they shouldn't be saying, anywhere. Who the hell do these entertainers think they are?
I don’t even watch TV anymore with all the Gay propaganda in sitcoms. That way I protect my kids from the filth that Hollywood spews every day. Public school is bad enough on my kids, so why give them a double dose of crap (TV) that will have to be deprogrammed from them. D
How about you stop being another idiot who wants to censor everyone else and don't watch TV? The last thing kids need to be doing is spending all their time watching stupid TV shows anyway...
You serious? The censorship on TV is way too much, one cant even get to see some boobs or a bare bum and the beeps on swear words in movies like casino Its up to the parent to make sure what is suitable for the kids to watch and if nobody likes bare bums or F bombs on TV then simply change channel.
Deadly serious. The only way these conservatives are going to see the light is when they aren't allowed to talk about it anymore. I thought the comment about getting rid of schools was a dead giveaway.
The argument could be made that this material is not appropriate, because CBS is on a freely distributed public channel--verses being on a paid channel like cable.
That is pretty much the point. Like I said, the FCC would just stick to the laws as they are written instead of going nuts and setting wild examples to make it look it like they are doing something, these problems would not exist.
What is the difference if the channel is public or cable? Radio or TV? Movie theatre or home theatre? You either have freedom of speech, or you DO NOT have freedom of speech? What's with this conditional "free" speech?
In order to understand this, some level of education might be necessary. The public airwaves are and always have been governed by the FCC it the US. Cable/Sat, is not. TV/Radio, anything that traverses the public airwaves is. I guess one would also have to understand what the 1st Amendment Protects, vs. what can be said over public airwaves. Free Speech, and "any speech" are two totally different things. All speech is not protected under the First Amendment. Particular, obscene speech. There are tons of case law and precident on this subject, but I leave you with one http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=us&vol=438&invol=726
I agree with you that you DO NOT have the freedom to say whatever you want. I just question the reasoning behind allowing "more speech" when you're paying to hear it. Surely, the same people who would be offended by something they hear on the radio can afford cable TV.
Because when you "pay" for something, it implies that you have requested it of your own accord. By paying for TV/Radio you are in affect saying, I have made my own conscious decision to "choose" to hear this. With "public" airwaves, you cannot make that decision, it is made for you. Ultimately advertisers on the public airwaves have kept the stations more in check than the FCC ever has. If the advertiser does not like something, the station is generally going to go with what they say if they are interested in the advertising dollars they might lose if they do otherwise.
I agree with you about the advertisers. Money always rules the day. But, on the other thing. When I buy a radio or TV and tune it to a particular frequency or channel, those are also conscious decisions. I just think that the "If you don't like what you hear, turn the channel or turn it off." philosophy makes more sense to me than "I'm going to tell you what is OK and what is NOT OK to listen to so I can protect everybody.". And, basing the choice on money has nothing to do with speech at all.
I completely agree that free speech is not any speech, however my basic problem with FCC censorships is that it's a small group of appointed over-lords dictating on matters of taste. What some find as obscene others can feel is perfectly acceptable or even appropriate within the context, so obscenity censoring by definition is forced public policy guided by the tastes of a select few who have no accountability to the general public. To show how silly it can all be, on the very day this week that the I learned the huge fines were proposed I saw a commercial which full-out shows a woman breastfeeding her child aired during the evening news. Where's the public outrage or at-least a little FCC consistency against this? Some might say that the commercial is okay because breastfeeding is natural, maybe even considered wholesome by some. Not me, I'd rather see Janet's accessorized milk-maker myself. It's all a question of taste, which simply can't be legislated or regulated fairly in a freedom loving society. Just my opinions, they may not display properly in all browsers...