In response to briefs filed with the Supreme Court, the watchdog Parents Television Council chastises ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox for “their resolve to shred any remaining boundaries for decency, paving the way for the harshest profanity and graphic sexual content to be aired in front of kids at any time of day.”
PTC Blasts Networks Over Indecency
The Parents Television Council on Friday urged U.S. broadcast TV networks to “stop exploiting the benefits and ignoring the responsibilities of the public airwaves.” PTC’s response came after briefs were filed by ABC, Fox, CBS and NBC in a landmark TV decency case currently before the U.S. Supreme Court. The case involves so-called “fleeting” profanity on award shows and nudity on NYPD Blue.
“The broadcast television networks reap tens of billions of dollars each and every year from the cash cow that is the public airwaves,” said PTC President Tim Winter, “but they claim to be unfairly burdened by the smallest morsel of responsibility when it comes to waiting until 10 pm to air indecent content. The networks’ Supreme Court briefs make crystal clear their resolve to shred any remaining boundaries for decency, paving the way for the harshest profanity and graphic sexual content to be aired in front of kids at any time of day.”
“If the broadcast TV networks are really tired of living under different rules than cable or the Internet, then they should become cable or Internet companies,” Winter continued. “The networks could easily give up the half-trillion dollar spectrum owned by the public that they use for free, or they could start paying to use the airwaves like other spectrum users do.
“Because of the pervasive nature of the broadcast medium, requiring a certain level of responsibility isn’t just reasonable, it is required by a broadcast license. Content on the public airwaves is beamed directly into every home in the country in exchange for a promise to serve the public interest, convenience and necessity. If the networks want rights without responsibilities, they should become a pay service.
“How can the creative community possibility be suffering from a ‘chill’ on free speech when there are over 500 channels that are not subject to the indecency law? Nobody is telling Hollywood they can’t produce and distribute indecent content. They are simply required not to use the public airwaves during certain hours of the day to do it.
“We urge the Supreme Court to look through the smokescreen of the TV networks’ interest, and instead side with the public interest. If the Court agrees with broadcasters and tosses out the broadcast decency law, the reality is that pornography will be legal on the publicly-owned airwaves at any time of day,” Winter concluded.
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Comments (9)
Vickii Howell says:
November 4, 2011 at 5:19 pm
Wow…if the public actually wanted porn to be broadcast…it would have happened by now,
Please just stop with this lazy argument and lobby for a single payer option.
Gene Johnson says:
November 4, 2011 at 5:26 pm
In what world does Mr. Winter live? If broadcasters really were interested in filling the airwaves with “the harshest profanity and graphic sexual content” they would have done so already, after 10 p.m. The fact that they haven’t, and that the networks continue to “bleep” various words during the late night talk shows (even after midnight) seems to offer all the proof that’s needed that broadcasters don’t have the kind of motives or interests that Mr. Winter ascribes to them. Indeed, I would argue that the broadcasters shouldn’t do the “bleeping” in those late-night broadcasts, and that doing so indicates they continue to view such language as against their business interest. I just wish Mr. Winter and his puritanical Victorian attitudes would go away, or that certain trade press would not give him so much notoriety.
Halie Johnson says:
November 4, 2011 at 7:25 pm
It’s because of the ongoing dispute over NYPD Blue and other indecency complaints that some stations still don’t have a real FCC license and have been stuck in limbo for years because the FCC doesn’t have the willpower to find a way to resolve it.
Vickii Howell says:
November 4, 2011 at 7:42 pm
Having worked in this business for well over 8 years now…I know for a fact that the broadcast networks and stations I have worked for always have the public in mind when they make content decisions. With statements like this, PTC continues to not be an advocate for free television…and they should be.
Why aren’t the out educating the public about how many free channels there are in the marketplace right now, where is that press release…if it is out there, I have not seen it and that is just sad.
len Kubas says:
November 4, 2011 at 9:36 pm
It obviously is PTC fund-raising-time-again
Just Fine says:
November 5, 2011 at 12:00 pm
Here’s a legitimate question. Why is the PTC still complaining about things that ended six years ago let alone an episode that aired almost 10 years ago?
“Nobody is telling Hollywood they can’t produce and distribute indecent content.”
That’s been the PTC’s modis operandi since day one, and they won’t go away until television is purged of its sinful evil influences like a woman’s cleavage or, heaven forbid, a bare ankle. Okay, it’s not that extreme, but it’s not from lack of trying.
jeff lee says:
November 5, 2011 at 11:03 pm
Hey…PTC. If you and the FCC successfully rid the airwaves of free over the air TV, pat yourselves on the back when your kids can view all the porn they want off of the internet. They’re probably doing that right now!
“the harshest profanity and graphic sexual content to be aired in front of kids at any time of day.” ON BROADCAST TV? Huh? Please tell me when this stuff is airing I’d like to see it. The PTC can only bark at Broadcasters because it’s using public airwaves but the crap the PTC complains about is nothing compare to what kids are really watching these days on cable/satellite TV. PTC…IF TV BROADCASTING GOES AWAY YOU BETTER START GOING AFTER THE PROGRAM PROVIDERS YOUR KIDS ARE CURRENTLY WATCHING NOW ON CABLE & SAT. I’m also sick of these special interest groups that are telling me what is appropriate for my kids to watch. I am a parent. And is something is inappropriate I CHANGE THE FRIKKIN CHANNEL. PTC…I don’t see people having naked wild sex. I don’t hear swear words every other minute. I do see/hear that on cable & sat. Go crawl back in your hole!
Amy Warren says:
November 6, 2011 at 8:33 am
I agree with JohnnyHD although JohnnyHd is a little overly animated and excited about it !!! But it’s a free country, and and hooray for FREE over the air TV from community serving local broadcasters.
Peter Bright says:
November 7, 2011 at 3:16 pm
Why do the PTC’s antics continue to be “news?”