Bush Signs Bill Raising Fines for Indecent Broadcasts
As expected, President Bush on Thursday signed into law legislation that increases tenfold the fines broadcasters will have to pay if they violate the FCC's decency rules. At a signing ceremony, Bush remarked, "Broadcasters and the electronics industry must play a valuable role in protecting our children from obscene and indecent programming." Under the new law, the maximum fine is increased to $325,000 per violation from $32,500. Thus CBS's affiliates that were together fined $3,250,000 for airing a racy scene in Without a Trace would have been been fined $32,500,000 under the new law -- or about what it costs to produce all episodes of the series for an entire season.
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This is sad news. Networks will be scared to air ANYthing that could possibly jeopardise the show, and thus the networks investment in it. I find it hard to believe the world is becoming so neutered.
Of course objective standards of decency do exist - particularly on television, but I feel this is definitely pandering to busy-bodies with an agenda. I always have to laugh when various complaints come in about a certain scene or TV show, can these people not change TV channels? Can they not supervise their children so that they don't watch anything inappropriate?
Surely the onus is on PARENTS to make sure their children are not watching something they feel might be offensive? This is just another example of the government finding it's way into our minds and homes, when the real responsibility lies with the individual.
As expected, President Bush on Thursday signed into law legislation that increases tenfold the fines broadcasters will have to pay if they violate the FCC's decency rules. At a signing ceremony, Bush remarked, "Broadcasters and the electronics industry must play a valuable role in protecting our children from obscene and indecent programming." Under the new law, the maximum fine is increased to $325,000 per violation from $32,500. Thus CBS's affiliates that were together fined $3,250,000 for airing a racy scene in Without a Trace would have been been fined $32,500,000 under the new law -- or about what it costs to produce all episodes of the series for an entire season.
Source
This is sad news. Networks will be scared to air ANYthing that could possibly jeopardise the show, and thus the networks investment in it. I find it hard to believe the world is becoming so neutered.
Of course objective standards of decency do exist - particularly on television, but I feel this is definitely pandering to busy-bodies with an agenda. I always have to laugh when various complaints come in about a certain scene or TV show, can these people not change TV channels? Can they not supervise their children so that they don't watch anything inappropriate?
Surely the onus is on PARENTS to make sure their children are not watching something they feel might be offensive? This is just another example of the government finding it's way into our minds and homes, when the real responsibility lies with the individual.
