FCC does something different for a change...

[Kurt_eh]

C B C . C A N e w s - F u l l S t o r y :
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


FCC denies indecency complaints against 'Simpsons', 'Friends'
Last Updated Mon, 24 Jan 2005 16:41:17 EST
CBC Arts
WASHINGTON - U.S. federal broadcast regulators have denied more than 30 complaints of broadcast indecency lodged against popular TV shows like Friends, The Simpsons and Gilmore Girls.

"None of the segments were patently offensive under contemporary community standards for the broadcast medium, and thus not indecent," the U.S. Federal Communications Commission said in a statement.

The 36 complaints all came from the Parents Television Council, a conservative watchdog group that frequently criticizes sex and violence on TV.

The complaints involved a Friends episode in which a married couple discuss fertility treatments with the husband's ex-girlfriend, whom they meet at a medical office; an episode of Gilmore Girls in which a character's grandfather reminisces about college pranks that involved nudity; and an episode of The Simpsons in which student protesters carry picket signs with messages like "What would Jesus glue?"

The council alleged that the programs, which aired between Oct. 29, 2001, and Feb. 11, 2004, contained sexually explicit segments or used indecent or profane language. The FCC said the segments in question were "not profane, in context."

Monday's statement marks a departure from recent FCC decisions. Since Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction" at the 2004 Super Bowl half-time show, the FCC has often fined and criticized broadcasters for indecency and profanity violations.

http://www.cbc.ca/story/arts/national/2005/01/24/Arts/FCCnocomplain050124.html

Copyright ©2005 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - All Rights Reserved

[teleri]

Well! I'm heartened by this :D A slight thinning of the cloud layer, perhaps? LOL
BB
Teleri

[AyuRocks]

Looking at something in context?!?!? Who'da thunk it!!!

[Nessus]

God I hate Parents Television Council. Us sinners can't have any fun without them sticking their nose in. This one group is responsible for more than 90% of the non-nipplegate compaints, spawning numerous cases of censorship, and the FCC finaly decides that this small group doesn't represent the views of the majority of the country. Its nice to see our tax dollars funding rational, openminded individuals. :rolleyes:

[BillFrugge]

God I hate Parents Television Council. Us sinners can't have any fun without them sticking their nose in. This one group is responsible for more than 90% of the non-nipplegate compaints, spawning numerous cases of censorship, and the FCC finaly decides that this small group doesn't represent the views of the majority of the country. Its nice to see our tax dollars funding rational, openminded individuals. :rolleyes:

So, if somebody finds something offensive, and you don't, it's fair to insult them? You talk about openmindedness, so how about a little consideration for others?

Clearly, from the article, you should realise that complaints without merit are dismissed. Complaints with merit, regardless of the source, are acted upon -- always has been since the FCC was organised.

And before you go telling those people that they have no right to watch television, you turn the channel on your own television and find some nudity to watch! With all of the channels available, you complain because there aren't enough nipples on every one of them?

[Owlman]

So, if somebody finds something offensive, and you don't, it's fair to insult them?



Yeah pretty much.

Well, according to the Right Wing crazies, both me and Jesus hate Friends!

The discussion of nudity is offensive? Do these parents make their kids shower in bathing suits?

[BillFrugge]

I find your words offensive. (Right Wing crazies...) So I have your permission to insult you?

I have never filed an FCC complaint, and I don't subscribe to the PTC. I can only assume why the complaints were written. I don't know what the pranks were, because I don't watch the show, but kids do repeat what they hear.

Look, everyone can find something to be offended by. You are offended by the PTC. These 36 people were offended by something else. 36 people is not a very large group, and they weren't able to persuade the FCC.

[Owlman]

I find your words offensive. (Right Wing crazies...) So I have your permission to insult you?



Knock yourself out.

[Nessus]

So, if somebody finds something offensive, and you don't, it's fair to insult them? You talk about openmindedness, so how about a little consideration for others?

Clearly, from the article, you should realise that complaints without merit are dismissed. Complaints with merit, regardless of the source, are acted upon -- always has been since the FCC was organised.

And before you go telling those people that they have no right to watch television, you turn the channel on your own television and find some nudity to watch! With all of the channels available, you complain because there aren't enough nipples on every one of them?

What, you're kidding, right? First off, where in my post did I even say that I enjoy nudity on tv? Nowhere. Where did I say they have no right to watch TV? Nowhere.

What I did say was that a small group made up solely of direct mail members should not have the right to dictate what is put on the air. The reality of the situation is that for the last year, since nipplegate, this one single group has been responsible for more than 90% of the indecency complaints lodged to the FCC.

You're defending people who would happily use tyrany of the minority to control the majority. Interesting.

The atmosphere this one group has single handedly created is one in which major affiliates were unwilling to show Saving Private Ryan on veterans day. You're defending this group. Interesting.

My first point is, I'm always open to criticism, but unless you read a post before you shoot of at the hip, you always end up looking ridiculous.

My second point is, the actions of this fringe group have shown beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are intent on using the tyrany of the minority to control the majority. If you defend this group, you are defending the philosophy upon which this group is based. So you posts can only lead one to believe that you support the use of tyrany by the minority to control the majority.

Interesting. You're certainly an interesting fellow.

[Owlman]

Took a look at their website.

They say the Passion of the Christ is great, but sex is bad. So you want to teach kids that extreme violence is ok, but sex isn't?

As an artist (writer, and wannabe musician), I find groups like this kinda freightening! They are out to censor art.

[Owlman]

Oh, and they say getting Victoria's Secret's Fashion show banned is a victory for America.

[BillFrugge]

What I did say was that a small group made up solely of direct mail members should not have the right to dictate what is put on the air. The reality of the situation is that for the last year, since nipplegate, this one single group has been responsible for more than 90% of the indecency complaints lodged to the FCC.

Where do you get the idea that they can dictate? They can write to the FCC about what is aired. The FCC can act, or not act. The stations agreed to certain content when they gained their license. It only takes one letter to ask the FCC to look into a possible violation. Flooding the mail room doesn't do any good.

You're defending people who would happily use tyrany of the minority to control the majority. Interesting.

My second point is, the actions of this fringe group have shown beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are intent on using the tyrany of the minority to control the majority.

So you posts can only lead one to believe that you support the use of tyrany by the minority to control the majority.

Tyranny of the minority to control the majority? WTF is that? Tyranny? It's tyranny to write a letter that says "look at what I saw on tv?" You're hysterical! Claims like that make you look ridiculous.

You can disagree with them all you want, but there is freedom of speech. You cannot forbid people to complain based on their association with each other. That is what I'm defending.

[Owlman]

True, but the group is out to censor free speech as well.

[Nessus]

Tyranny of the minority to control the majority? WTF is that? Tyranny? It's tyranny to write a letter that says "look at what I saw on tv?" You're hysterical! Claims like that make you look ridiculous.

According to Websters dictionary, tyranny is a rigorous condition imposed by some outside agency or force. PTC wants to impose their belief system on the rest of the country. PTC is a minority group. The country is the majority group. The intent of their actions easily meets the definition of tyranny.


You can disagree with them all you want, but there is freedom of speech. You cannot forbid people to complain based on their association with each other. That is what I'm defending.

If you want some small group to limit what you can experience, that's your perogative. But your argument completely undermines itself. You say that they are just expressing their freedom of speech, but what they are advocating is censorship. There's no other word for it. It is by the books censorship. It is impossible to cogently argue that a group is innocently expressing their free speech when they are calling for something to be censored. That is a logical impossibility. What they are in fact doing is calling for a controlled free speech. Free speech that they control. There is nothing free about such a thing.

[vhsiv]

Where do you get the idea that they can dictate? They can write to the FCC about what is aired. The FCC can act, or not act. The stations agreed to certain content when they gained their license. It only takes one letter to ask the FCC to look into a possible violation. Flooding the mail room doesn't do any good.But that's just what the guys who complained about that Fox reality show did. There were only 12 or so 'real' letters, claiming that a Bachelor party or something was indecent, and Fox got slapped with a record $1.2 million dollar fine. Not that I'm trying to be a Fox apologist or anything like that, but they seem to play both ends against the middle, with their right-wing news and commentary and their mainstreamed-porn 'entertainment'.

In other news, Michael Powell (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26085-2005Jan21.html) has tendered his resignation as head of the FCC.