Calls, e-mails help shift broadcast decency bill into gear

By Doug Carlson - Dec 11, 2007 - 6

A groundswell of pressure from people concerned about weakening broadcast decency standards helped prompt a Senate committee to move forward an idle bill to protect families from indecent television and radio content.

Thanks in large part to the calls and e-mails from many of you, Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI) released the Protecting Children from Indecent Programming Act (S. 1780) out of the Senate Commerce Committee last week, clearing it for a full Senate vote.

This follows nearly five months of inactivity on the bill since it was passed with bipartisan support by the Senate Commerce Committee last summer.

Last week, we asked those who want Congress to restore regulations to enforce decency standards for broadcast programming during the family hours, when children are likely to be watching television, to contact Sen. Inouye, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, and Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK), the committee’s ranking member, and urge them to move S. 1780 out of committee. No doubt your calls and e-mails were a decisive factor in moving the bill off a desk and onto the Senate legislative calendar.

Specifically, the Protecting Children from Indecent Programming Act would require that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) “maintain a policy that a single word or image may constitute indecent programming” on broadcast television and radio.

Such legislation is necessary after the Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 in June that the FCC’s sanctioning of a broadcast network for airing fleeting expletives was “arbitrary and capricious,” a decision that could tie the hands of the FCC from policing such content. At issue was the FCC’s sanctioning of the Fox Network for airing Cher’s use of the F-word during the 2002 Billboard Music Awards and Nicole Richie’s use of the F-word and S-word during the program the following year.

Sen. Stevens, urging his colleagues to support the bill, said, “Whether sitting in a car with your children or in front of the TV, the American public should be able to expect that they will not be barraged with unexpected indecent material, whether it is through an image or a word.”

The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission commends Sens. Stevens, Inouye and chief sponsor John D. Rockefeller (D-WV) for pushing S. 1780 forward, and we are grateful for your efforts to encourage them to do so.

Please urge your senators to support the Protecting Children from Indecent Programming Act. We will continue to keep you updated on progress on this important legislation.

Further Learning

Learn more about: Family, Children, Citizenship, Legislation

6 comments (post your own) feed

1 On Feb 4th, 2008, at 3:50pm, Ed & Penny Thomas wrote:

Please take immediate steps to protect our children and grandchildren and clean up the networks.

Thank you,
Ed & Penny Thomas

2 On Feb 4th, 2008, at 5:49pm, Anne & John Lewis wrote:

Its past time to restore decency to television broadcasting

3 On Feb 5th, 2008, at 8:57am, Doris Billingsley wrote:

I’m appalled at the indecency and the language on the TV programs.  Something needs to be done to stop this.  This is not the influence that our young generation needs nor do I don’t appreciate seeing anything like this also.  It’s time America came back to being a moral country and television is not helping the matter at all. TV needs to be cleaned up!

4 On Feb 6th, 2008, at 12:48pm, Donna Minor wrote:

Please protect our children and grandchildren by cleaning up TV. It is time for America to come back
to morality.

5 On Mar 12th, 2008, at 6:18pm, Melanie Savage wrote:

I was watching the Comedy Central tv station recently during a funny movie and watched an incredibly offensive ad for the South Park show. I do not watch this show because of its content and could not believe this ad would be allowed to air. This ad featured two people talking to make one word together. One of the words was the name of Jesus. As they jointly made the name of “Je-sus” they both shuttered as though they were refering to a foul thing.  We as Christians must be equally offended and let Comedy Central know it! I am calling on you to stand up for Jesus, his father, and all they stand for and contact these law makers to let them know we care about all tv programming and advertising allowed on the air.

6 On Mar 27th, 2008, at 6:20pm, Linda F. Horne wrote:

Please clean up the programming on television.
It is becoming unfit to watch most of the programs.

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