FCC Chairman says Indecency Standard Clear

FCC CHAIRMAN SAYS INDECENCY STANDARD CLEAR
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Jeremy Pelofsky]
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin told television broadcasters on Tuesday they should know what is indecent because the law has not changed in more than 25 years. He said the Supreme Court's decision in the late 1970s on a monologue by comedian George Carlin clearly spelled out seven indecent words that could not be said on television or radio. Chairman Martin denied accusations by broadcasters that recent agency decisions, ruling several programs that included profanity were indecent, had failed to give sufficient guidance on what can be aired on television. "The commission's findings recently on indecency did not extend beyond some of the same words that were found to be upheld by the Supreme Court in the 1970s," Chairman Martin said.
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyid=2006-04-25T181300Z_01_N25174302_RTRUKOC_0_US-MEDIA-DECENCY-FCC.xml

* FCC chairman says planned TV campaign on indecency falls short
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: Gary Gentile]
A $300 million educational campaign planned by TV broadcasters to ward off increased federal regulation of indecent content doesn't go far enough, Chairman Martin said Tuesday. He said the program, announced Monday, was not a "complete answer" to the large number of complaints filed each year by parents about inappropriate language and sexual content in shows. The program falls short in part because a significant number of TVs do not include the V-chip and "Even those that do, some of the programs are still either unrated or live sports broadcasting like the Super Bowl that probably would not have been rated in a way that would make parents aware," Martin said. Martin will continue to push for additional steps, such as cable TV companies giving customers a choice of which channels to pay for rather than offering bundles of channels. Martin also said cable companies should offer a "family tier" of channels as well.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/14425481.htm

* At NAB, FCC Chief Presses on Indecency
http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002385677

* Martin Defends Indecency Decisions
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6327944?display=Breaking+News