Cable, satellite next in line for indecency fines?

Commerce Committee is pushing to apply decency laws to pay TV and radio. Does this spell more trouble for Howard Stern?

The story "Cable, satellite next in line for indecency fines?" published March 1, 2005 at 5:07 AM is no longer available on CNET News.

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[wazzledoozle]

Bill of rights, freedom of speech

The federal government cant censor a payed media service, it is up to the viewer to decide what they watch and they pay for the content, with the ability to block channels.
WHere in teh constitution dos it say it is the fes job to make sure we dont hear cussing on medai outlet?

[Jeff Putz]

The rules do not apply

You can regulate free, over-the-air broadcast because it's a scarce resource, which means it has to be licensed and is a public resource. The same standard does not apply to pay services. If I want to pay to have the word "****" transmitted into my house, that's my choice, not the feds'.

[BodegaBay]

Censor this!

Ted Evans? From the 50th state? And he wants to censor my paid subscription of satellite service?

There will be no way this will pass the American public -- conservative or liberals. It just infringes more than necessary and I believed that the massess will see that it crosses the line.

Hey Ted -- you can pass that bill in your state but the continental United States will flatly turn you down.

Now I am peeved.

[Dachi]

Proposing the impossible.

It is easy to impose restrictions on broadcasted content.

If you impose the regulation on non-broadcast TV channels then why wouldn't HBO, Cinemax, and... Playboy fall under the same legislation?

They could impose the regs for all channels in the "basic cable" or "basic service" package but with different program packages from different companies you would be splitting hairs.

If people can pay extra for HBO and Playboy, then why can't they pay extra for a satelite radio channel that might say the F word?

While we are at it, why do we let people print magazines and books with questionable content? Any public library found carrying a book that swears should be fined $500,000

cen·sor·ship
1. The act, process, or practice of censoring.

[bobby_brady]

It's about time!

It's about time the FCC goes after cable and satellite, why should they get away with breaking the law? Now the FCC needs to put some bite behind their bark and start collecting fines. They still haven't collected from Infinity Broadcasting for the Howard Stern fiasco.

Hey folks....

Hey folks we have a prude. Why don't you do what our President said and simply turn it off. If I want to watch sex and sleeze that is my business I don't need a bunch of prudes telling me I can't. Sounds to me like we have a bunch of people that need to go get laid.

But your tight a*ssed noses out of what I watch. If parents can't keep control of their kids then maybe they should have kept their clothes on.

Robert

That Guy is an IDIOT

All free public librarys should be shut down and close. There are hundreds of books with the F-word, S-word, and many others that are contained in dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other fiction and non-fiction books. The free library is like the public air waves. They're free, meaning anybody can go in and read a book just like anybody can turn on the radio and listen. The non-free libraries should also be shut down and close also because just like satillite and cable, we pay to get into them. Non-free libraires are like college libraries, government libraires. Basicall, ALLLLLLLL libraries and book stores should be shut down and closed. They all have profanity and nudity in one form or another. Is that what you're telling, the people that are censoring?????? You people are a bunch of idiots. Childrens are one thing but regulating Adults, then something is not clicking in these people's heads. I just don't understand how smart people can turn dumb overnight because they want to be re-elected. This is not a brain fart, its stupidity all together.

here we go again...

Lets remember that all those bible-thumpers elected these people who are now trying to "clean up" our country. Maybe we should just replace the constitution with the catholic version of the bible, and make churches the place where public decisions are made...

What a great nation we have become... HA HA HA

[bobby_brady]

and you like to watch porn

admit it!

[rmcourtney]

I pay for a private service... keep out

If I pay for a service I don't think that any government agency has the right to sensor it. Keep the hell off it if you don't like it. Or don't buy the service.

[frankz00]

OK, who is paying to see smut?

How can anyone be offended by something they are PAYING to get?!?!? Wouldn't the logical solution for that individual be to STOP PAYING FOR IT rather than writing a law!?!?! And who are these parents that are incapable of raising their own kids??? Why do they reproduce in the first place? Obviously the job is too taxing for them... Just because children has made these peoples lives miserable, they have no right to impose their misery on those of us that have chosen not to!

[vanox]

I've got a great idea...

Why don't we put ratings on TV and movies... OH WAIT, that's already done.

Well, then why don't we allow parents the ability to block a channel... OH WAIT, that's done too.

Why don't we build our electronics with off buttons... OH NO, someone beat me to that idea as well.
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By the way, if the government (at least some) is thinking along these lines, we should fine any musician / group that is indecent.

[vanox]

Yep

R C - I agree with you. With the path we're following, the only things we'll be allowed to watch will be on PBS or PAX (or a similar station).

[royc]

PBS ???

PBS has bare bodies all over the place, nothing covered or blurred out.
From Africa or S.America...