One of my pet peeves is when one small, tiny group controls what you should be allowed to see or hear. It pisses me off! Now we have actual proof in the numbers from the FCC itself who has put out a report that includes where all these indecency complaints are coming from.
MediaWeek
According to a new FCC estimate obtained by Mediaweek, nearly all indecency complaints in 2003—99.8 percent—were filed by the Parents Television Council, an activist group.
...
Through early October, 99.9 percent of indecency complaints—aside from those concerning the Janet Jackson “wardrobe malfunction” during the Super Bowl halftime show broadcast on CBS— were brought by the PTC, according to the FCC analysis dated Oct. 1. (The agency last week estimated it had received 1,068,767 complaints about broadcast indecency so far this year; the Super Bowl broadcast accounted for over 540,000, according to commissioners’ statements.)
The prominent role played by the PTC has raised concerns among critics of the FCC’s crackdown on indecency. "It means that really a tiny minority with a very focused political agenda is trying to censor American television and radio," said Jonathan Rintels, president and executive director of the Center for Creative Voices in Media, an artists’ advocacy group.
So if 30 million people like something, but five people don't then the 30 million should not be allowed to watch or hear it, even though the five people are not being forced to watch and can change the channel at will. That is just total bullshit and something needs to be done. This is akin to frivolous lawsuits. A small group can continuously send in complaints in hopes that one or two may be judged indecent and impose fines on the stations. After all if you file 100,000 frivolous lawsuits there's a good chance that maybe one of them will pay off. There needs to be some penalty for groups that are constantly complaining in order to deter them unless something is really offensive.
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