The Protecting Children from Indecent Programming Act that was introduced in the U.S. House Tuesday would make it clear that fleeting expletives should not be allowed on radio and TV stations. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in June that Congress really didn’t mean for such expletives to be considered indecent, and reversed fines levied by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Rep. Charles "Chip" Pickering, R-Miss., said he introduced the bill to set the record straight.
“This bill gives the FCC the authority to enforce indecency standards,” he said.
Daniel Weiss, media and sexuality analyst for Focus on the Family Action, said the bill would help protect families from unexpected outbursts.
“It mandates that the FCC consider that a single word or image may be indecent,” he said.
Dan Isett of the Parents Television Council told Family News in Focus it would place the power back where it belongs.
“What’s really at stake here is the fundamental ability of the FCC — and, therefore, of the people — to have some say over what gets broadcast over the airwaves that they own.”
