TV to U.S. govt: Hands off violent programs

[Joanne98]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. television programmers said on Thursday that the government had no business telling them what to air and criticized a Federal Communications Commission report saying Congress could regulate violent content.

CBS Corp., News Corp. and the cable industry said such regulation would be an unconstitutional violation of free speech rights and face high legal hurdles.

"A clear majority of Americans want to choose the programming they invite into their homes, and not cede that authority to the government," CBS said in a statement.

Late on Wednesday, the FCC released a report on violence on television, which found that exposure to violence in the media can increase aggressive behavior in children, at least for a short while.

The FCC does not have the authority to regulate violence on the airwaves, although it does have the power to regulate obscenity, sexual content and profanity.

Among the FCC's list of controversial recommendations was one that said Congress could develop a definition of excessively violent programming, though said such language needed to be narrowly tailored.

Another proposal would require cable and satellite companies to let U.S. consumers pay only for the channels they want instead of buying tiers of programming.

The industry reacted swiftly and angrily. Continued...
http://www.reuters.com/article/industryNews/idUSN2622914020070426



:rofl:

GOOD! Let's regulate violence and make cable sell AL LA CARTE! I luv it!

[RL3AO]

1. I'm all for some Gov't intervention...

but this is getting rediculous. How about parents learn how to parent and not expect the Gov't to do it for them.

[bluestateguy]

2. I would love to have an a la carte cable plan

I would not be forced to pay for the shopping channels, local access channels, Fox News and the "Christian" stations. Then I would use that money to buy more movie channels.

[Joanne98]

3. I know. I could live with just five. It's a ripoff!

[Initech]

4. So let me get this straight - no swearing or porn allowed, but hands off our violence!

:eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes:

[Joanne98]

6. YEP! HAHA! I can't believe they're actually being honest for a change!

[meldroc]

5. A la carte good, censoring violent programs bad.

[MadBadger]

7. For me, the FCC is just as Evil as Faux

[Sherman A1]

8. Ah, excuse me, but

I see just a bit of a problem with this sentence - "U.S. television programmers said on Thursday that the government had no business telling them what to air and criticized a Federal Communications Commission report saying Congress could regulate violent content."

If it is on broadcast TV, that travels via the airwaves and that belongs to the public, so Yes, in fact it can be regulated by the elected representatives of the people. I am not for censorship, however, the programmers do not own the airwaves. We Do.

[Joanne98]

9. I know we do. Let's take them back.