Creative Voices: FCC Indecency Crackdown Harms Children
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 9/21/2006 1:55:00 PM
The Center for Creative Voices in Media, which includes TV and film executives among its advisers, has weighed in at the FCC on indecency with a report of how the FCC's indecency crackdown has affected Hollywood and the nation by"stifling free expression, threatening quality television, and harming America’s children."
The report was submitted as comments in the FCC's review of four profanity rulings it made back in March without allowing for public comment.
The center points out that advisers Steven Bochco, Tom Fontana, and Vin Di Bona--have all been affected by the FCC's indecency enforcement regime.
While it concedes that the can still work in TV, it also says that less established programmers may not have similar options.
Di Bona was particularly incredulous at his involvement. One of his funniest videos was cited for a pacifier getting stuck in a baby's behind. The FCC didn't find it indecent, but found that it met one of its tests "marginally explicit," and subjected the video two its multi-part analysis.
Calling the FCC's decisions "inconsistent and confusing," the center took issue with profanity findings that were issued, including against the Martin Scorcese documentary on blues musicians and an NYPD Blue episode.
The irony, says the Center, is that Blue and Blues are just they type of quality shows that "in their public speeches, many FCC commissioners urge broadcasters to create and air as trustees of publicly owned airwaves."
The Center concludes that the FCC's enforcement policy has made Newton Minow's "vast wasteland even vaster," and harms, not serves, the public interest.
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