{"id":962,"date":"2013-04-08T15:38:33","date_gmt":"2013-04-08T15:38:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bejone03.expressions.syr.edu\/trf594\/?p=962"},"modified":"2013-04-14T01:27:15","modified_gmt":"2013-04-14T01:27:15","slug":"regulating-risque-content-obscenity-and-violence-on-television","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bejone03.expressions.syr.edu\/trf594\/2013\/04\/08\/regulating-risque-content-obscenity-and-violence-on-television\/","title":{"rendered":"Regulating Risque Content: Obscenity and Violence on Television"},"content":{"rendered":"<pre>by Macy Jenkins<\/pre>\n<h2><b>First Amendment<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><em>&#8220;Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.&#8221; <\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.archives.gov\/exhibits\/charters\/bill_of_rights_transcript.html\">[1]<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Material labeled &#8220;obscene&#8221; is not protected by the First Amendment, and therefore is subject to banning and criminal prosecution by federal and state governments.<\/p>\n<h2>Federal Communications Commission<\/h2>\n<p>The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.fcc.gov\/\">Federal Communications Commission <\/a>(FCC) was established by Franklin Roosevelt in 1934. \u00a0The Commission had the right to restrict content, to require fairness in political programming and to regulate public use. \u00a0The fairness\u00a0doctrine\u00a0was dropped in the 1980&#8217;s but laws against obscenity, indecency, and profanity have prevailed since the 1950&#8217;s. <a href=\"http:\/\/chnm.gmu.edu\/exploring\/20thcentury\/regulatingtelevision\/\">[2]<\/a><\/p>\n<h2><b>Obscenity vs. Indecency vs. Profanity<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>A three-pronged test was established by the Supreme Court to define <strong>obscenity<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>An average person, applying contemporary community standards, must find that the material, as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest<\/li>\n<li>The material must depict or describe, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct specifically defined by applicable law<\/li>\n<li>The material, taken as a whole, must lack serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.fcc.gov\/guides\/obscenity-indecency-and-profanity\">[3]<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Indecency<\/strong> is defined by the FCC as &#8220;language or material that, in context, depicts or describes, in terms patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards for the broadcast medium, sexual or excretory organs or activities.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1068\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bejone03.expressions.syr.edu\/trf594\/files\/2013\/04\/cuss-words-02.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1068\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1068\" alt=\"Source: West Seattle Funblog\" src=\"https:\/\/bejone03.expressions.syr.edu\/trf594\/files\/2013\/04\/cuss-words-02-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bejone03.expressions.syr.edu\/trf594\/files\/2013\/04\/cuss-words-02-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bejone03.expressions.syr.edu\/trf594\/files\/2013\/04\/cuss-words-02-398x300.jpg 398w, https:\/\/bejone03.expressions.syr.edu\/trf594\/files\/2013\/04\/cuss-words-02.jpg 432w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1068\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: West Seattle Funblog<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>Profanity<\/strong> is defined by the FCC as &#8220;language so grossly offensive to members of the public who actually hear it as to amount to a nuisance.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>It is a violation of federal law to (1) air obscene programming at any time, or (2) air indecent programming or profane language on broadcast television or radio between 6:00 am and 10:00 pm time. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.fcc.gov\/guides\/obscenity-indecency-and-profanity\">[3]<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Although the FCC has the power to revoke a station\u2019s license for noncompliance, it will typically charge the network with fine but leave their licenses in place.<\/p>\n<h2>Federal Communications Commission vs. Fox Television Stations (2012)<\/h2>\n<p>The gist of it: The FCC wanted to fine FOX for \u201cfleeting expletives\u201d on awards shows by Cher and Nicole Richie in 2002 and 2003.\u00a0 (Before 2004, the FCC banned only repeated uses of certain four letter words). \u00a0The FCC also fined ABC over one million dollars for showing seven seconds of buttocks and a glimpse of \u201cside breast\u201d on <em>NYPD Blue<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>The ruling: The Supreme Court ruled that the FCC\u2019s regulations were unconstitutionally vague and not clear enough for broadcasters to be able to follow them. <a href=\"http:\/\/articles.latimes.com\/2012\/jun\/22\/entertainment\/la-et-st-fcc-vs-fox-supreme-court-ruling-20120622\">[4]<\/a> It held that broadcasters had a right to be warned if changes were going to be made to FCC policy. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.scotusblog.com\/case-files\/cases\/federal-communications-commission-v-fox-television-stations-inc\/\">[5]<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;font-weight: bold\">Recent headlines<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i>Superbowl profanity<\/i><\/p>\n<p>CBS is currently under fire after airing profanity during the Superbowl.\u00a0 Just after the Baltimore Ravens beat the San Francisco 49ers, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco used the F-word and another player said another curse word. \u00a0The moment aired on CBS because the network hadn&#8217;t set up a time delay. \u00a0The <a href=\"http:\/\/w2.parentstv.org\/Main\/\">Parents Television Council <\/a>(PTC) is calling for the FCC to fine CBS.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1032\" style=\"width: 767px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bejone03.expressions.syr.edu\/trf594\/files\/2013\/04\/beyonce-super-bowl-halftime-show.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1032\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1032\" alt=\"Ironically, CBS had set up a time delay for Beyonce\u2019s halftime performance \u2013 remember Janet? \u2013 but did not set up a time delay for the on-field coverage. (Photo by Christopher Polk\/Getty Images)\" src=\"https:\/\/bejone03.expressions.syr.edu\/trf594\/files\/2013\/04\/beyonce-super-bowl-halftime-show.jpg\" width=\"757\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bejone03.expressions.syr.edu\/trf594\/files\/2013\/04\/beyonce-super-bowl-halftime-show.jpg 757w, https:\/\/bejone03.expressions.syr.edu\/trf594\/files\/2013\/04\/beyonce-super-bowl-halftime-show-300x237.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bejone03.expressions.syr.edu\/trf594\/files\/2013\/04\/beyonce-super-bowl-halftime-show-378x300.jpg 378w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 757px) 100vw, 757px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1032\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ironically, CBS had set up a time delay for Beyonce\u2019s halftime performance \u2013 remember Janet? \u2013 but did not set up a time delay for the on-field coverage. (Photo by Christopher Polk\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>PTC president Tim Winter said the following in a statement <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.constitutioncenter.org\/2013\/02\/super-bowl-f-bomb-could-give-fcc-a-headache\/\">[6]<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cNow nine years after the infamous Janet Jackson incident, the broadcast networks continue to have \u2018malfunctions\u2019 during the most-watched television event of the year, and enough is enough. \u00a0After more than four years of inaction on broadcast decency enforcement, the FCC must step up to its legal obligation to enforce the law, or families will continue to be blindsided.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p><div id=\"attachment_1113\" style=\"width: 245px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bejone03.expressions.syr.edu\/trf594\/files\/2013\/04\/dont-listen-parenting-starts-here.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1113\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1113\" alt=\"A 2011 study by The Parents Television Council found a 69% increase in profanity on primetime television between 2005 and 2010.  [7]  Source: Parenting Starts Here\" src=\"https:\/\/bejone03.expressions.syr.edu\/trf594\/files\/2013\/04\/dont-listen-parenting-starts-here.jpg\" width=\"235\" height=\"302\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bejone03.expressions.syr.edu\/trf594\/files\/2013\/04\/dont-listen-parenting-starts-here.jpg 235w, https:\/\/bejone03.expressions.syr.edu\/trf594\/files\/2013\/04\/dont-listen-parenting-starts-here-233x300.jpg 233w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 235px) 100vw, 235px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1113\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A 2011 study by The Parents Television Council found a 69% increase in profanity on primetime television between 2005 and 2010. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.parentstv.org\/PTC\/news\/release\/2011\/0915.asp\">[7]<\/a> Source: Parenting Starts Here<\/p><\/div><em>Egregious Cases ONLY<\/em><\/p>\n<p>On April 1st, the FCC announced that September 2012, it had eliminated 70% of its pending indecency complaints. \u00a0That&#8217;s over one million cases. \u00a0FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski stated that FCC officials will only focus on the &#8220;most egregious examples&#8221; of violations. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.tvnewscheck.com\/article\/66560\/fcc-to-target-egregious-indecency-cases?ref=search\">[8] <\/a><\/p>\n<p>A large concern is the amount of backlog that the agency is up against. \u00a0At the same time of the announcement, the FCC asked for a public comment as to whether the cut back on the enforcement should actually occur.<\/p>\n<p>PTC&#8217;s Winter weighed in on this, saying &#8220;either material is legally indecent or it is not.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2>Violence in American Television<\/h2>\n<p>Violence is more\u00a0prevalent\u00a0than sex in American television. \u00a0Some believe we&#8217;ve simply become desensitized to violent scenes. \u00a0Experts believe the effects of continuous violent depiction is detrimental to society as a whole.<\/p>\n<h2>Self Regulation<\/h2>\n<p>Each network has a standards and practices department, which reviews programming and advertisements. \u00a0The idea is to regulate content to keep many different parties happy. \u00a0They have to meet FCC restrictions, intellectual property guidelines and personal rights requirements. \u00a0At the same time, the networks are concerned with serving the good of society and also preserving the image of the network. \u00a0And they have to keep a broader range of advertisers happy than cable networks do. [9]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;font-weight: bold\">V-Chip Technology<\/span><\/p>\n<p>A &#8220;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.fcc.gov\/guides\/v-chip-putting-restrictions-what-your-children-watch\">V-chip<\/a>&#8221; allows adults to block television programs that they don&#8217;t want children to watch. \u00a0Each program is encoded with a rating (see below). \u00a0Adults can then program their televisions to only allow programs with a certain rating to be\u00a0accessible. \u00a0The <a href=\"http:\/\/transition.fcc.gov\/telecom.html\">Telecommunications Act of 1996<\/a> required all U.S. television sets to have V-chips. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aacap.org\/page.ww?name=children+and+TV+violence&amp;section=Facts+for+Families\">[10]<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Content Rating System<\/h2>\n<p>The ratings system established in 1997 [9]:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>TV-Y: \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Appropriate for all children<\/li>\n<li>TV-Y7: \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Appropriate for children 7 and older<\/li>\n<li>TV-Y7-FV: Programs in the Y7 category with more intense or combative fantasy violence<\/li>\n<li>TV-G: \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Appropriate for a general audience<\/li>\n<li>TV-PG: \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Parental guidance suggested<\/li>\n<li>TV-14: \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Parents strongly cautioned &#8211; probably not suitable for children under 14<\/li>\n<li>TV-MA: \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Mature audiences only<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Many are <a href=\"http:\/\/www.deseretnews.com\/article\/865564776\/A-15-year-failure-Parents-Television-Council-says-TV-content-ratings-are-flawed.html?pg=all\">unhappy with the V-chip<\/a> because a lot of people don&#8217;t even know how to use it. \u00a0And networks tend to &#8220;go light&#8221; with ratings or risk scaring off advertisers. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.deseretnews.com\/article\/865564776\/A-15-year-failure-Parents-Television-Council-says-TV-content-ratings-are-flawed.html?pg=all\">\u00a0[11]<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Violent Content Research Act<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_1128\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bejone03.expressions.syr.edu\/trf594\/files\/2013\/04\/Jay-Rockefeller.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1128\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1128\" alt=\"Senator Jay Rockefeller Source: csmonitor.com\" src=\"https:\/\/bejone03.expressions.syr.edu\/trf594\/files\/2013\/04\/Jay-Rockefeller-300x200.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bejone03.expressions.syr.edu\/trf594\/files\/2013\/04\/Jay-Rockefeller-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bejone03.expressions.syr.edu\/trf594\/files\/2013\/04\/Jay-Rockefeller-450x300.jpg 450w, https:\/\/bejone03.expressions.syr.edu\/trf594\/files\/2013\/04\/Jay-Rockefeller.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1128\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Senator Jay Rockefeller<br \/>Source: csmonitor.com<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Senator Jay Rockefeller (also chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee) D-W.Va., introduced the \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.commerce.senate.gov\/public\/?a=Files.Serve&amp;File_id=18291b38-199b-4315-8fb0-534a15f31f2d\">Violent Content Research Act<\/a>\u201d in January.<\/p>\n<p>His aim is to get the National Academy of Sciences to study the effects of media violence.\u00a0 Specifically, he wants them to look at the effect that violent programming has on child behavior. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/media\/article\/rockefeller-re-introduces-senate-bill-calling-study-violent-content-74656\">[12]<\/a><\/p>\n<p><i>\u201c<\/i><i>Congress should do everything we can to address gun violence.\u00a0 We need comprehensive policies to fully protect our communities. This study is an important element of this approach.\u201d <\/i><a href=\"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/2013\/01\/24\/gun-violence-legislation-senate_n_2546382.html\">[13]<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Future of Content Regulation<\/h2>\n<p>When you boil it down, the content we see on television is determined by the green. \u00a0If it&#8217;s too risque for advertisers, networks will adjust to please them. If it&#8217;s too risque for the viewers (and their children), networks will adjust to please them. \u00a0Networks want plenty of happy advertisers; advertisers want plenty of happy viewers; and viewers&#8230;well what they want changes from minute to minute. \u00a0The challenge is keeping up.<\/p>\n<h2>Sources<\/h2>\n<p>[1] \u201cBill of Rights\u201d \u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.archives.gov\/exhibits\/charters\/bill_of_rights_transcript.html\">http:\/\/www.archives.gov\/exhibits\/charters\/bill_of_rights_transcript.html<\/a><\/p>\n<p>[2] \u201cRegulating Television\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/chnm.gmu.edu\/exploring\/20thcentury\/regulatingtelevision\/\">http:\/\/chnm.gmu.edu\/exploring\/20thcentury\/regulatingtelevision\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p>[3] \u201cObscene, Indecent and Profane Broadcasts\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/www.fcc.gov\/guides\/obscenity-indecency-and-profanity\">http:\/\/www.fcc.gov\/guides\/obscenity-indecency-and-profanity<\/a><\/p>\n<p>[4] \u201cCritic&#8217;s notebook: FCC vs. Fox, the Supreme Court decides\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/articles.latimes.com\/2012\/jun\/22\/entertainment\/la-et-st-fcc-vs-fox-supreme-court-ruling-20120622\">http:\/\/articles.latimes.com\/2012\/jun\/22\/entertainment\/la-et-st-fcc-vs-fox-supreme-court-ruling-20120622<\/a><\/p>\n<p>[5] \u201cFederal Communications Commission v. Fox Television Stations, Inc.\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/www.scotusblog.com\/case-files\/cases\/federal-communications-commission-v-fox-television-stations-inc\/\">http:\/\/www.scotusblog.com\/case-files\/cases\/federal-communications-commission-v-fox-television-stations-inc\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p>[6]\u00a0 \u201cSuper Bowl F-bomb could put FCC in a bind.\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.constitutioncenter.org\/2013\/02\/super-bowl-f-bomb-could-give-fcc-a-headache\/\">http:\/\/blog.constitutioncenter.org\/2013\/02\/super-bowl-f-bomb-could-give-fcc-a-headache\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p>[7] \u201cPTC Files Supreme Court Brief in Support of Broadcast Decency.\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/www.parentstv.org\/PTC\/news\/release\/2011\/0915.asp\">http:\/\/www.parentstv.org\/PTC\/news\/release\/2011\/0915.asp<\/a><\/p>\n<p>[8] \u201cFCC to target \u2018Egregious\u2019 Indecency Cases\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/www.tvnewscheck.com\/article\/66560\/fcc-to-target-egregious-indecency-cases?ref=search\">http:\/\/www.tvnewscheck.com\/article\/66560\/fcc-to-target-egregious-indecency-cases?ref=search<\/a><\/p>\n<p>[9] \u201cThis Business of Television,\u201d Third Edition; Blumenthal, Howard J. &amp; Goodenough, Oliver R.; Billboard Books (2006).<\/p>\n<p>[10] \u201cChildren and TV Violence\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aacap.org\/page.ww?name=children+and+TV+violence&amp;section=Facts+for+Families\">http:\/\/www.aacap.org\/page.ww?name=children+and+TV+violence&amp;section=Facts+for+Families<\/a><\/p>\n<p>[11] \u201cA 15-year failure? Parents Television Council says TV content ratings are flawed\u201d\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.deseretnews.com\/article\/865564776\/A-15-year-failure-Parents-Television-Council-says-TV-content-ratings-are-flawed.html?pg=all\">http:\/\/www.deseretnews.com\/article\/865564776\/A-15-year-failure-Parents-Television-Council-says-TV-content-ratings-are-flawed.html?pg=all<\/a><\/p>\n<p>[12] \u201cRockefeller Pushes Senate Bill Calling for Study of Violent Content\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/media\/article\/rockefeller-re-introduces-senate-bill-calling-study-violent-content-74656\">http:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/media\/article\/rockefeller-re-introduces-senate-bill-calling-study-violent-content-74656<\/a><\/p>\n<p>[13] \u201dGun Violence Legislation: Senate Bills Emerge With Bipartisan Support\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/2013\/01\/24\/gun-violence-legislation-senate_n_2546382.html\">http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/2013\/01\/24\/gun-violence-legislation-senate_n_2546382.html<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\/\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by Macy Jenkins First Amendment &#8220;Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/bejone03.expressions.syr.edu\/trf594\/2013\/04\/08\/regulating-risque-content-obscenity-and-violence-on-television\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":262,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[246,241],"tags":[260,92,36,265,120,375,259,54,368,372,271,262,272,261,376,269,263,374,371,270,264,373],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bejone03.expressions.syr.edu\/trf594\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/962"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bejone03.expressions.syr.edu\/trf594\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bejone03.expressions.syr.edu\/trf594\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bejone03.expressions.syr.edu\/trf594\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/262"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bejone03.expressions.syr.edu\/trf594\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=962"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/bejone03.expressions.syr.edu\/trf594\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/962\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1494,"href":"https:\/\/bejone03.expressions.syr.edu\/trf594\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/962\/revisions\/1494"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bejone03.expressions.syr.edu\/trf594\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=962"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bejone03.expressions.syr.edu\/trf594\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=962"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bejone03.expressions.syr.edu\/trf594\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=962"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}