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Topic: Indecency

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	Indecency wars - Salon
		Public and legislative discussion of the indecency issue used to be limited almost exclusively to election-year cycles, but that tradition has been broken as momentum builds to institute the most radical FCC reforms in U.S. broadcast history.
		The latest battle over indecency, sparked by Janet Jackson's infamous 2004 Super Bowl performance and embraced by both political parties, will heat up in coming weeks as the Senate crafts its indecency bill, which will then be married in conference to the version the House passed easily last year.
		What is surprising for free-speech advocates such as McChesney and Chester, who fear the effects the indecency reforms could have, is that when they look across the newly formed battle lines they see some of their closest anti-media consolidation allies leading the charge for new enforcement of content.
	www.salon.com /news/feature/2005/04/14/fcc_and_indecency/index.html (552 words)

	AFA Activism
		Although the Federal Communications Commission has slightly increased its response to consumer complaints of broadcast indecency, local television stations continue to ignore the laws that govern their use of the public airwaves.
		Indecency - The FCC defines broadcast indecency as "language or material that, in context, depicts or describes, in terms patently offensive as measured by contemporary community broadcast standards for the broadcast medium, sexual or excretory organs or activities."
		The courts have held that indecent material is protected by the First Amendment and cannot be banned entirely, but it may be restricted in order to avoid broadcast on TV or radio when children are likely to be in the audience.
	www.afa.net /activism/wopcd_tvindecency.asp (649 words)

	Boston.com / A&E / TV / FCC Clears 'Buffy,' 'Grace' on Charges of Indecency (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-23)
		The PTC, one of the more active groups on the indecency front run by L. Brent Bozell, complained to the commission about an episode of "Buffy" that aired April 22, 2003, on WDCA, a UPN affiliate in Washington.
		Indecency has become a hot topic in Washington, but it exploded as a public-policy concern following increased use of versions of the f-word on the air and the Super Bowl halftime show.
		The commission defines indecent speech as language that, in context, depicts or describes sexual or excretory activities or organs in terms patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards for the broadcast medium.
	www.boston.com /ae/tv/articles/2004/08/10/fcc_clears_buffy_grace_on_charges_of_indecency (441 words)

	Reason
		After all, he argued, "the Commission could have proposed a fine for each separate 'utterance' that was indecent, rather than one fine for each lengthy segment." (The FCC is, in fact, still mulling whether to do this.) Better yet, it could have revoked the stations' licenses altogether.
		The commission's subsequent pledge to investigate the baring of Janet Jackson's breast during the Super Bowl has overshadowed its $755,000 fine, just as the size of that penalty overshadowed the fact that it is part of a larger "indecency" crackdown—one of the most intense in the commission's history.
		One of the opening shots in the new war on indecency was the $7,000 fine imposed on the Oregon community station KBOO in 2001.
	www.reason.com /links/links021004.shtml (754 words)

	Open Letter to Congress on FCC Indecency Enforcement
		Enforcement of the broadcast indecency law does not appear to be one of Mr.
		Unable to bring indecency enforcement actions in court because of this failure, the FCC allowed the statute of limitations to run in three cases, even though it issued Notices of Apparent Liability.
		It means that the public cannot be protected from indecency on the public airwaves unless they have the foresight to have a tape recorder running when the offending language is broadcast.
	www.moralityinmedia.org /radioTvIndecency/congfccletter2001.htm (1198 words)

	Isabella Case Puts Attention On 'Gross Indecency' Law
		But he's also charged with gross indecency between males, a five-year felony rooted in 19th century British law that requires no victim and erases the issue of consent as a defense.
		Under the gross indecency statute -- of which there is a similar law pertaining to males and females -- a prosecutor must prove only that the sexual act occurred.
		Critics of the gross indecency statute argue not only that it's vague, but that it is selectively applied to cases that are more appropriately covered under more modern CSC laws.
	www.sodomylaws.org /usa/michigan/minews03.htm (1187 words)

	Enough is Enough Reefs and Rocks (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-23)
		Similar in effect to harmful to minors laws, indecency laws aim to protect children from the harmful effects of pornography.
		Indecency involves the use of the telephone, radio or broadcast TV to transmit materials inappropriate for children over the airwaves.
		Indecency has been defined by the U.S. Supreme Court as "any language or material that depicts or describes in terms patently offensive as measured by [national] contemporary community standards for the [telephone or] broadcast medium, sexual or excretory activities or organs." F.C.C. v.
	www.enough.org /reef-indec.htm (187 words)

	Stop Big Media - Indecency
		What's been missing from the debate over indecency is the connection between the increasing lack of quality programming and the rampant consolidation of the media industry.
		Ninety-six percent of the FCC indecency fines from 2000 to 2003 were levied against four of the nation's largest radio station ownership groups: Clear Channel, Viacom, Entercom and Emmis.
		Indecency is a symptom of a larger problem: the lack of consumer choice and control over what they see on television.
	www.stopbigmedia.com /=indecency (440 words)

	Free Press : Study: Indecency increases following radio group consolidation
		“Indecency on the airwaves and consolidation of station and program ownership are linked,” said Jonathan Rintels, executive director of the Center for Creative Voices in Media and co-author of the study.
		The report concludes that 96% of the FCC indecency fines from 2000 to 2003 were levied against four of the nation’s largest radio station ownership groups: Clear Channel, Viacom, Entercom and Emmis.
		The percentage of overall indecency fines incurred by these four companies was nearly double their 48.6% share of the national audience, while the 11,750 other U.S. radio stations not owned by these companies—or 88% of the country’s stations — received just four FCC indecency violations.
	www.freepress.net /news/11351 (540 words)

	Cristina Popescu - Indecency in Broadcasting (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-23)
		Indecency, unlike obscenity, does not meet the Miller test and therefore enjoys First Amendment protection to a large degree.
		As to what represents indecency in broadcasting, the FCC has defined it as language or material that, in context, depicts or describes, in terms patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards for the broadcast medium, sexual or excretory organs or activities.
		Explaining the "community standards" requirement, the commission has said: "The determination as to whether certain programming is patently offensive is not a local one and does not encompass any particular geographic area.
	iml.jou.ufl.edu /projects/Fall02/Popescu/cr_indecency.htm (315 words)

	Broadcasters Narrow in on Indecency
		Broadcasters, who were assessed a record $7.9 million in fines for indecency by the FCC last year, are bracing for more criticism -- by the FCC and from members of Congress -- and more fines.
		In your April 21 article "Broadcasters Narrow In on Indecency," you write that FCC Chairman Kevin Martin's public views on indecency on the airwaves are "popular with social conservatives," a term you also use to describe the Parents Television Council, which seeks to remove what you call "racy content" from the airwaves.
		Congress rightly enacted the Indecency Act and would be wise to extend it to cable and satellite transmission reaching an undifferentiated audience, including children.
	www.fradical.com /Broadcasters_narrow_in_on_indecency.htm (1306 words)

	A primer on the FCC's war on indecency \| ajc.com (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-23)
		The five commissioners have the power to fine stations for indecency, up to $27,500 per violation and $11,000 to the performer.
		The FCC will only investigate an accusation of indecency if there's a transcript or tape of the offending bit.
		That means if you catch something in a fleeting manner and don't happen to memorize the exact wording or have it on tape, it might be difficult for the FCC to act.
	www.ajc.com /metro/content/metro/0404/10fccprimer.html (337 words)

	USATODAY.com - Congress ready to boost indecency fines (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-23)
		The FCC began stepping up enforcement of indecency rules even before the Jackson incident, which fellow performer Justin Timberlake famously blamed on a "wardrobe malfunction." But the Super Bowl focused public attention like nothing before.
		Over half of the 1 million indecency complaints filed with the FCC last year were related to the incident.
		The indecency law bars nonsatellite radio and noncable television stations from airing — between 6 a.m.
	www.usatoday.com /news/washington/2005-02-03-congress-indecency_x.htm?csp=15 (881 words)

	The Free Expression Policy Project
		Her case is a good illustration of how dangerous it is to give government officials the power to decide what's offensive or otherwise not appropriate for Americans to hear.
		The FCC's indecency police have historically targeted small radio stations airing controversial content, such as the famous George Carlin "Filthy Words" monolog that led to the Supreme Court's 1978 decision upholding the agency's power to censor the airwaves.
		Yes, the FCC imposed a lot of indecency fines in the last few years, but the number was so big because a single program, broadcast on multiple radio stations, then became the subject of multiple fines.
	www.fepproject.org /commentaries/newuseindecency.html (969 words)

	Mail Tribune Online Edition - Indecency fine increase pays off for companies - July 12, 2006
		The new law is a boon for companies that make time-delay machines for broadcasters, which are designed to catch offensive language before it hits the airwaves, and a potentially powerful reason for performers, directors and producers to take their talent to cable and satellite outlets, where federal decency standards do not apply.
		Other repercussions from the escalating crackdown on broadcast indecency: On-air personalities at one radio giant are contractually obligated to pay indecency fines if they say anything that causes their stations to be penalized.
		In addition to raising the ceiling for a single instance of indecency, the law allows the FCC to fine a broadcaster as much as $3 million a day for multiple violations.
	www.mailtribune.com /archive/2006/0712/biz/stories/indecency.htm (1140 words)

	FCC Accused of Discounting TV Indecency Complaints -- 01/10/2005
		In the wake of these concerns, the federal agency charged with enforcing the nation's broadcast indecency laws now stands accused of discounting complaints from tens of thousands of citizens because those complaints were submitted with the aid and urging of advocacy groups supporting tougher enforcement.
		By 2002, the FCC received almost 14,000 objections about indecency on broadcast radio or television and more than 202,000 complaints were received by the Enforcement Bureau of the FCC in 2003.
		The FCC's questionable reporting of indecency complaints also has the effect of misrepresenting the level of the public's concern and the source of the complaints related to broadcast content.
	www.cnsnews.com /ViewSpecialReports.asp?Page=\SpecialReports\archive\200501\SPE20050110a.html (2022 words)

	Claim principal did not act on indecency - National - smh.com.au
		THE principal of Rozelle Public School is being investigated for allegedly failing to report incidents of indecency against children when she first became aware of them.
		The Department of Education has confirmed it is investigating a parent complaint that the principal, Lynn Doppler, was told of incidents involving an 18-year-old man who had allegedly lured children to toilets in the primary school.
		Ms Doppler yesterday confirmed the internal investigation was under way but denied she had failed to report incidents of alleged indecency to police within 48 hours of learning of them.
	www.smh.com.au /news/national/claim-principal-did-not-act-on-indecency/2006/07/10/1152383677695.html (416 words)

	Broadcast Indecency: More Regulation Not the Answer (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-23)
		Indecency legislation is also pending in the Senate: S. 193, sponsored by Sam Brownback (R-KS), would increase per-incident fines to $325,000, with a maximum fine for indecency of $3,000,000.
		Millions of Americans were outraged by the Janet Jackson incident, and lawmakers are looking for some way to express their own concern about diminishing standards of propriety on radio and television.
		The FCC defines indecency as “language or material that, in context, depicts or describes, in terms patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards for the broadcast medium, sexual or excretory organs or activities.” This definition is as clear as mud.
	www.heritage.org /Research/Regulation/Wm666.cfm?renderforprint=1 (1102 words)

	CNN.com - FCC official makes no secret of displeasure over lingerie show - Nov. 21, 2002
		Michael J. Copps made the recommendation the morning after he said his office was flooded with e-mails from viewers complaining about a fashion show featuring the products of Victoria's Secret, a lingerie company, that aired Wednesday night on CBS.
		Of the nearly 500 indecency complaints received by the agency's enforcement bureau over the past year, "only a tiny number have resulted in any action," he said.
		Indecency over the air has increased as media outlets have continued to consolidate, Copps said.
	archives.cnn.com /2002/US/11/21/fcc.indecency/index.html (500 words)

	USATODAY.com - Key Republicans back cable indecency rules (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-23)
		WASHINGTON — Indecency guidelines that over-the-air broadcasters must follow should be extended to cover cable and satellite broadcasters, congressional Republicans who are influential on telecommunications issues said Tuesday.
		Joe Barton, R-Texas, head of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, voiced support for the idea of indecency guidelines for cable and satellite and said he would consult with Stevens on possible legislation.
		The broadcasters association, which represents free, over-the-air radio and TV stations, has been critical of the lack of indecency guidelines for cable and satellite stations.
	www.usatoday.com /news/washington/2005-03-01-gop-indecency_x.htm (593 words)

	firstamendmentcenter.org: analysis
		In the first three months of 2004, the FCC has proposed $1 million in indecency fines, more than the previous nine years combined, according to the Center for Public Integrity, a Washington watchdog group.
		The incident served as a rallying point for religious leaders, parents' groups, lawmakers and others who have bemoaned for years what they say was an unchecked coarsening of the airwaves.
		Clear Channel also has adopted a code of conduct for its personalities, suspended Howard Stern from its six stations that carried him, and paid a record $755,000 indecency fine for broadcasts by the disc jockey known as "Bubba the Love Sponge," who was fired.
	www.firstamendmentcenter.org /analysis.aspx?id=12915 (787 words)

	'Indecency' obsession amounts to overkill \| ajc.com (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-23)
		"Indecency" is not "obscenity" and it is not "pornography," the dissemination of either of which already subjects one to criminal sanctions.
		In other words, though it may be a somewhat subjective test, it is generally understood what pornography or obscene material is. "Indecency," however, is far more of a moving target.
		It can apply to mere talk about sex or bodily functions that fails to comport with "contemporary community broadcast standards." This ultravague definition really does mean "indecency" is in the eye of the beholder or the ear of the listener.
	www.ajc.com /opinion/content/opinion/0405/13edbarr.html (580 words)

	boycott-riaa.com - Article: Indecency Wars
		Today Copps is marching arm-in-arm with the newly appointed FCC chairman, Republican Kevin Martin, against indecency, much to the delight of cultural conservatives.
		But in truth, Martin joined the indecency game much later than did Copps and Adelstein, who for years served as de facto indecency cops at the FCC as they relentlessly chided Powell for not being tough enough on enforcement.
		Indecency is in the eye of the beholder.
	www.boycott-riaa.com /article/16511 (3549 words)

	Online NewsHour: The FCC Fined $3.6 million to Broadcast Stations for Indecent Programs -- March 16, 2006
		CBS strongly objected to the fine, saying the show contained no nudity, aired in the last hour of prime time, and featured an important and socially relevant storyline, warning parents to exercise greater supervision of their children.
		In all, six other programs across a broad spectrum were fined for indecency, from Spanish-language music videos, to the WB reality series "The Surreal Life 2," to a PBS broadcast of "The Blues: Godfathers and Sons," a documentary by filmmaker Martin Scorsese that contained profanity.
		JEFFREY BROWN: And joining me to debate the issue of indecency fines are: Robert Peters, president of Morality in Media, a non-profit interfaith organization founded to combat obscenity and indecency in the media.
	www.pbs.org /newshour/bb/media/jan-june06/fcc_3-16.html (1771 words)

	Indecency wars - Salon
		At the time, they argued that as fewer and fewer corporations bought up more and more programming outlets, there would be a race to the bottom in content, and that without hands-on local owners, radio and television stations would no longer have a sense of community standards, leading to an increase in indecent programming.
		Now that indecency has moved to front and center, some media activists are concerned that the issue of consolidation will get lost in the stampede to crack down on indecency.
		Observers on both sides of the debate doubt that those rulings serve as a good barometer of where the FCC and Congress are heading on indecency.
	dir.salon.com /story/news/feature/2005/04/14/fcc_and_indecency/index.html?pn=3 (1082 words)

	Bill Would Raise Fines for On-Air Indecency (TechNews.com)
		The Senate voted yesterday to substantially increase fines for broadcast indecency, responding to months of public outrage over racy radio and television broadcasts that culminated with the exposure of Janet Jackson's breast during CBS's telecast of the Super Bowl halftime show in January.
		Last week, the FCC increased its maximum indecency fine from $27,500 to $32,500, to allow for inflation, as it is required to do every four years.
		This month, Clear Channel settled all indecency fines pending and erased all case under investigation at the FCC for $1.75 million.
	www.washingtonpost.com /wp-dyn/articles/A61924-2004Jun22.html (850 words)

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