Indecency Bill for Cable?

Tuesday, March 1, 2005
Senator Wants Satellite, Cable Indecency Regulations

To applause from the crowd, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens told broadcasters at the NAB Leadership Conference that while he's ready to follow his House colleagues' lead in passing indecency legislation, he wants to hold cable and satellite services to the same content standards broadcasters must follow. "In this country, there needs to be some standard of decency," he said this morning during a discussion moderated by NAB President/CEO Eddie Fritts. "We've got to reach a conclusion on the subject matter, not just who is carrying it. They should be held to the same standards of decency that apply to you. The rules have to apply to substance."
About proposed legislation that would require the FCC to hold a license-revocation hearing for any station that chalks up three indecency violations, Stevens noted that an indecency action would count toward that tally only after both the FCC and the courts have ruled that a broadcast was indecent. He also noted that one provision under review would stipulate that only one violation in any given 24-hour period could count against a station for license-revocation purposes. "It would be really impossible for any responsible broadcaster to lose a license," he said.
"All of these things are under consideration, and we haven't settled any one of these issues in our committee. I consider it one of our greatest challenges to find a way to settle these issues, but we want to leave you with the capability to conduct your business. We want to find a way to help you."