FCC v. Fox = Flood of Filth?

By: American Decency Staff

By:  Lisa Van Houten Tuesday the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a landmark case regarding television decency standards that could open the floodgates of filth even wider on network television. The case is FCC v. Fox Television Stations, 10-1293.  While many appreciate the “fair and balancedâ€Â reporting of Fox News, it’s important to remember this is the same corporation which brings us vulgar programming that attacks our values on the regular Fox Network. Network broadcasters (joining with Fox) are petitioning the Supreme Court to overturn a 1978 decision that upheld the FCC’s authority to regulate TV content on network television during the hours when children are more likely to be viewing television – between the hours 6:00 AM and 10:00 PM.  The major networks – such as ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox – are publicly-owned airwaves and must comply with Federal Communication Commission indecency standards to protect the public interest. Of course anyone with a television knows that current network programming is anything but a safe haven for family viewing.  While the current law is the equivalent of the little Dutch boy plugging a hole in an already leaky dike,  if the current standards are overturned, no matter how flimsy and poorly-enforced they are, there would be nothing stopping broadcast networks from airing a flood of nudity and profanity at any time and on any program. Parents Television Council president, Tim Winter, stated:  “The broadcast television networks would not be waging a decades-long legal battle to secure the right for something they don’t intend to do.  If the Supreme Court rules in favor of the networks, the American people are going to get a rude awakening when broadcast TV becomes indistinguishable from Cinemax, HBO or something even more explicit. Children, parents, families and indeed all Americans deserve better use of the airwaves that they own.â€Â Even rocker Steven Tyler of rock band “Aerosmithâ€Â fame, as well as current judge on Fox TV’s “American Idolâ€Â understands that. While certainly not a person with a reputation of sterling character – in fact, in keeping with FCC standards, Tyler’s comments have been bleeped several times while serving as judge on “American Idolâ€Â – yet Tyler had this to say regarding the current case before the Supreme Court: "There's a certain charm and passion and magic in not showing full-frontal nudity" or using constant profanity, Tyler said, as the high court prepared to take up a First Amendment case on the regulation of the airwaves. "If you start surfing channel to channel and you're on NBC and it's (expletive) and channel 4 and it's (expletive) and channel 7 and it's (expletive), it wouldn't be fun to surf," he said. Besides, he said, where's the creativity?  … the use of blunt language "turns it into something crass." … There are pejorative terms, such as those involving race and gender, that never should be heard on TV, said Tyler.  http://news.yahoo.com/steven-tyler-supreme-court-watch-language-121712636.html It’s up to President Obama’s administration to defend this law that they have been lax to enforce.  Currently there are 1,471,912 outstanding indecency complaints sitting before the FCC – which shows not only the government’s lack of enforcement, but also is evidence of American concern regarding indecency on public airwaves.  However, Solicitor General Donald Verrilli Jr. did argue that if the Supreme Court were to overrule current standards, "the risk of a race to the bottom is real." As the government has standards regarding corporate pollution to protect citizens – rather than leaving it up to us to filter our own water and wear gas masks to protect ourselves from smog – we as a nation have a responsibility to protect children and set limits regarding the most offensive television content on public airwaves. While the current administration is certainly not the first to turn a blind eye to enforcing decency standards – both Republican and Democratic administrations in recent years have drawn the ire of pro-decency groups such as ADA with their “do-nothingâ€Â attitude toward enforcement of the law –  those standards do exist and serve at least as somewhat of a deterrent.  However, if the Supreme Court should side with the networks instead of the interests of citizens, there will be no stopping the flood of filth. The Supreme Court, whose rulings are supposed to be made solely on the basis of constitutionality and not public opinion, does not  give opportunity to offer you a “take actionâ€Â link to express your views. However, we do urge you to “take actionâ€Â with a much Higher Authority.  Pray for our Supreme Court Justices as they make decisions on this precedent-setting case, as well as others before them this term such as the constitutionality of ObamaCare, praying that God will lead, guide, and grant them wisdom in making right decisions. “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.â€Â Proverbs 29:2 Our Supreme Court justices are Chief Justice John Roberts, Justices Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, Alito, Ginsberg, Breyer, Kagan, and Sotomayor.  (Justice Sotomayor has recused herself from this case due to her prior involvement when this issue was before the appeals court.) ========================================================== Your support is important to our ability to make a difference. Donate online at: https://secure4.afo.net/ada/donate.php American Decency Association is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. American Decency Association Bill Johnson, President P.O. Box 202 Fremont, MI 49412 ph: 231-924-4050 www.americandecency.org http://www.twitter.com/billwjohnson

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