FCC Tries Again to Clean Up Indecency Act

Just as he is about to exit, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski is setting up a question that will be left to his successor: Just how should the agency deal with a backlog of indecency complaints.

Given the propensity for watchdog groups to complain that the agency is too lax, and broadcasters to sue the FCC for being too vague, it’s doubtful that any new policy will be anything other than a can of worms. The FCC is facing two vacancies, and the opening of public comment on a new indecency policy is likely to only increase the pressure from parents orgs and politicians for President Obama’s nominees to commit to a zealous approach to objectionable content. A few of the comments to the FCC so far amplify the stations’ standpoint, that the networks shouldn’t be singled out, since so many media options proliferate.