Fox fights FCC over foul content

From Reuters (warning: foul language in article)...

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York, in a divided decision, said that the U.S. Federal Communications Commission was "arbitrary and capricious" in setting a new standard for defining indecency.

At issue is the 2002 Billboard Music awards where Cher used the f-word. In all honesty, Cher should have been punished for that, not Fox. Those arrogant Hollywood types have the attitude that the trash they fill their own lives with, they have the right to spew into other people's lives. But to further exacerbate the problem, rather than learning their lesson and time-delaying the broadcast so any obscenities could be filtered, Fox again broadcast the 2003 Billboard Music Awards live and Nicole Richie was able to spew profanities into American households....

No fines were imposed but Fox had challenged the decision to the appeals court, arguing that the government's decency standard was unclear, violated free speech protections and that the rulings had contradicted findings in past cases.

Fox knew idiot Hollywood types would likely try the same moronic stunt, but refused to take precautions. Now they're whining that the rules are unclear. I like Fox News, but sometimes these guys can be so stupid.

To make matters worse, though, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York (in a tightly divided decision) sided with Fox. Fox's response...

"Viewers should be allowed to determine for themselves and their families, through the many parental control technologies available, what is appropriate viewing for their home," Fox said

So even though taxpayer money is used to fund broadcast television, those same taxpayers are told that they have should utilize the "many parental control technologies available". As far as I know the only single control we have for broadcast stations is the off switch. Why should we be forced to pay, via taxes, for Fox's right to broadcast, when their attitude toward their responsibility to ensure appropriate programming is "Don't like it? Turn the TV off." I would say the better response should be, "Can't keep your programs clean? Hand your license for that frequency over to someone who can." Will Fox issue refund checks to taxpayers who don't want to financially support filth on broadcast television? That would be fair.

Posted by Danny Carlton at June 5, 2007 7:25 AM