By JONATHAN D. SALANT, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - The head of the Federal Communications Commission, upset over a growing use of profanity on television and radio, wants to sharply increase the penalties for broadcasters airing indecent programs.

AP Photo


FCC (news - web sites) Chairman Michael Powell said at a National Press Club luncheon on Wednesday that the current maximum penalty, $27,500 for each incident, should be 10 times higher.

"Some of these fines are peanuts — they are peanuts because they haven't been touched in decades," Powell said. "They're just the cost of doing business to a lot of producers, and that has to change."

Powell's proposal, which needs congressional approval, comes amid continued criticism of the FCC for a ruling in October that an expletive uttered by the musician Bono on a network TV program was not indecent because it was used as an adjective rather than to describe a sex act. And it follows a report in September by a conservative advocacy group, the Parents Television Council, which found much more foul language on network TV.

Powell, who has asked his four fellow commissioners to overturn the FCC ruling on Bono, said it was irresponsible for broadcasters to air profanity during hours when children may be watching.

Federal law and FCC rules ban radio stations and over-the-air television channels from airing obscene material at any time, and from airing indecent material between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. The FCC defines obscene material as describing sexual conduct "in a patently offensive way" and lacking "serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value." Indecent material is not as offensive but still contains references to sex or excretions.

"It's irresponsible of our programmers to continue to try to push the envelope of a reasonable set of policies that tries to legitimately balance the interests of the First Amendment with the need to protect our kids," Powell said. "I think that line is beginning to be crossed."

One of the two Democratic commissioners, Jonathan Adelstein, backed Powell's call for higher fines.

"We get a lot of complaints," Adelstein said. "We're getting serious about it now. Hopefully, we'll see less people crossing the line on this. We want to give them incentives to do that."

The National Association of Broadcasters declined to comment. So did NBC, which aired the Golden Globes Awards show last year where Bono, the lead singer of the Irish rock group U2, said "this is really, really, f------ brilliant."

The FCC's enforcement bureau said Bono's comments were not indecent or obscene because the F-word was used as an adjective.

But lawmakers have been quick to react.

Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on telecommunications and the Internet, said he would introduce legislation to increase the maximum fines for indecency. His subcommittee plans a hearing on the issue Jan. 28.

"Clearly, we're beyond the `Ozzie and Harriet,' days but we still don't need some of this language that's out there," Upton said. "It's on the air because they can get away with it."

Watchdog groups say broadcasters are trying to compete with racier cable television channels, which are not covered by the same FCC rules, and trying to attract the young males coveted by advertisers.

"This is a game where you're competing for audiences," said Celia Wexler, research director for Common Cause. "They're not thinking about what the soccer mom and their kids might enjoy; they're thinking about what that 18 to 24 year old male might enjoy."

The commission's two largest penalties for indecency were $1.7 million against Infinity Broadcasting in 1995 to settle several cases against radio disc jockey Howard Stern and $357,000 in October against Infinity for a segment on the "Opie and Anthony" radio show in which a couple was said to be having sex in New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Foul language run amok. There has got to be a line drawn to the putrid stench that is broadcast to the public on prime time TV and Radio. Of course we as adults can handle it - (just turn it off or switch channels, etc.) but when it hits the ears and eyes of our children and young people in general then it's time to act and hold those responsible to greater degrees of retribution and penalties.

As the story said: Their doing it because they can get away with it. So make it to where they can't get away with it. And if they go ahead and do it anyway, they will think twice about doing it again if they have to pay a huge penalty fee for the errors of their ways.

Best regards,
Mike

While I am a proponent of freedom of speech I also think it should come with responsibility and consideration that other may not want to hear "everything" one has to say. Not to mention when one uses some of the words one uses, they are unnecessary, such as in some rap music.....I can live without the vulgar and violent language used.

On the other hand once the door is opened to censorship, where does it stop and who decides?
Terry

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jam on,
Terry http://imjazzed.homestead.com/Index.html

I'd like to invite these guys on my daily commute to and from Manhattan. You will hear more profanity in a span of a few minutes, that after a while it doesn't even phase you anymore.

It appears this part of the country has embraced replacing everyday words with profanity. As a matter of fact, at work the guy in the next cubicle cannot avoid using the F-word as every other word in a sentence.

I don't think there is a moral majority anymore.

This is my problem. I may or may not mind profanity on Tv, movies or such. Either way I have a choice. I can watch or turn off, I can go to the movie / play or I can save my money and go do something else. Whatever I decide it is my choice. I DO NOT need someone to make those decisions for me. I do not need someone else to impose their morality upon me.

I HATE this cover all excuse about what we are exposing our children to when it is used like this. It is panic making emotional blackmail, playing on humanities natural instinct to protect and nuture it's young whilst surrupticiously advancing the hidden agenda of the 'moralist' who are usually linked to some fundamentalist cause or firebrand religion.

I was brought up in a VERY strict religious household. We were not allowed a TV in the house. Church three times on a Sunday plus sunday school in a morning and afternoon (before proper church). This was from being a babe in arms until I was 17 when my Mum and Stepdad allowed me some freedom to decide for my self. Then during the week I was expected to attend various Bible classes, youth groups etcetera. Grace was always said before meals and the Bible was always read after homework and before bed.

Still by the time I was 12 I had an extensive 'alternative' vocabulary which would have had my Mum on her knees for a month had she ever heard me. Most of the other young folks I knew (mostly from church) were just as 'informed' as I was myself.

Kids are and will always be kids. Hide this stuff away and tell them it is bad, dangerous and not the done thing and they will go out and experiment and DELIGHT in doing so just so that they can rebel. I KNOW because I did it, and all my freinds were exactly of the same mind.

These days I moderate my language and my behaviour because I have come to learn that I and only I am responsible for my words and actions and am aware of the responsibilty I have to others. Most kids grow to be well rounded, decent members of society despite the flaws of an imperfect world.

We don't need the state (any state) protecting us from THEIR ideas of what is improper or acceptable. God gave us a brain and a mind to do that for ourselves.

Tony (rant over)

I agree with Tony. Although this invokes tremendous passion in me, I know I shouldn't go into a political discussion here and probably this has no real place on an arranger forum, so I'll leave it at that, other than to say that I am alarmed as I watch personal freedoms erode because my government thinks "it's good for me " and that I don't know how to make the right choices for myself.


AJ

Here's a story I will relate...to me it's more about respect for others freedom also to not hear it.

I had an acquaintance that my wife and I went out to dinner with...he is one that uses the F word about 6 times every sentence. There was an older couple sitting at the table next to us, finally they got up and moved to another table. Secondly, however archaic it may be I was brought up not to use that sort of language in front of women as a matter of respect. So I think this guy showed no respect for my wife either.

As far as choosing what I will or will not watch, that is fine, but when you sit down to watch something, who knows what is about to be said or done.

I suppose my position really is that we should learn and teach those that come behind us to have respect for others rights as well, to not hear vulgarity or whatever else. Rather than having to have someone try to regulate it. We don't teach those coming behind us that though.

And sorry for the double standard but I just can't get used to hearing women use the language. Words do hurt people too, many cruel things can be said that hurt others, i.e., racial slurs, sensitive matters for someone like perhaps a handicap or whatever. Or the reason it is against the law to go into a crowded place and shout FIRE.....people were killed trying to run out and were trampled in a theatre at one point when someone thought that would be funny to do.

As far as getting used to hearing it and thinking nothing of it...how sad that we become desensitized to things, what sort of society do we want anyway.....one that doesn't give a uh......uh.....well you know, about anyone or anything, just our own sense of entitlement to do and say whatever WE want. No thanks....I think we could relearn a good dose of respect for one another.
Terry

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jam on,
Terry http://imjazzed.homestead.com/Index.html

[This message has been edited by trtjazz (edited 01-16-2004).]

There is NO room for everyday TV, using foul language..There should be severe penalties and maybe no one will make a big joke about it..There is no need for youngsters being subject to this..even if they bleep the words , kids are getting the jest of it, and it instills that it is alright as adults to use bad language..it is not..respect others..personally I can endure it, if a person bugs me too much with a bad mouth[especially in front of my family members], I will reinforce my opinion to them...Kids are growing up in a tough enough world, and we should protect them the best we can..I raised my kids right and I want to help continuing to raise my grandkids right...

This discussion should be held elsewhere

I enjoy watching the television, so does my wife. If profanity starts making it's way to my favorite shows, then yes we won't watch it, but it means I am deprived of watching these shows.
Movie and show programmers feel cursing makes it real, but I don't swear neither does my wife, nor do the people I work with, neither do are friends and relatives, so how is cursing suppose to be real?
Starkeeper

Yeah......we should talk about more socially relevant things like football....yeah right, like that has any business on the forum. Or only when someone has personal issues they want to bring to the forum. If you throw one out to discuss somewhere else, then let's knock off all the off topic here and keep it to music only, which would actually suit me just as well either way. However just like this topic, picking and choosing which posts to read,is again a personal matter. So either censor them all or none, I'm sure Nigel does not want to be the judge as to which should be allowed and which shouldn't.
Terry


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jam on,
Terry http://imjazzed.homestead.com/Index.html