Censors taking aim at rights

[question everything]

The Daily Breeze

Wednesday, June 22, 2005

Censors taking aim at rights

Cable language and violence may not be to everyone's taste, but the government and special interest groups shouldn't determine the limits of artistic license.
By Dan K. Thomasson

Between the Federal Communications Commission and a coterie of angry members of Congress who are egged on by activist citizens' groups, the radio and television industry is as sensitive to even borderline scatological programming as it has been in the past 50 years. The slightest tint of blue will send the industry's executives scurrying for cover these days.

That is, of course, the broadcast variety. Cable channel pooh-bahs and those running paid radio like Sirius don't seem to have a concern in the world except to keep the same thing from happening to them. For this, they must rely on First Amendment protections not afforded those who are using the public airways, contending that privately subscribed entertainment is exempt from censorship under the Constitution's guarantees of free speech.

Guess again if you think that argument will stop the critics and self-appointed watchdogs of American morals from challenging the ever more daring and sensational exhibitions that, by the way, have garnered all the industry prizes for acting, writing and producing of late. Ultimately the matter will have to be decided by the Supreme Court in one of those horrendously important cases that come down about every generation.

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In fact, extension of these rules to regular cable and satellite television and radio is the object of legislation proposed by the chairmen of the Senate and House Commerce committees, Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska and Rep. Joe Barton of Texas. The proposal has the backing of Kevin Martin, the new chairman of the FCC.

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What Stevens' and Barton's proposal would do is to relieve Americans of the responsibility for controlling their own viewing and listening habits and those of their children. If parents can't control what their children watch or what they personally find offensive, perhaps they shouldn't be parents.

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Dan K. Thomasson is former editor of the Scripps Howard News Service.


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