It seems that 4 years after the fact, the FCC has decided to fine ABC stations in the Central and Mountain timezones for airing an episode of NYPD Blue. FCC link
People need to take notice as the FCC once again attempts to push the line of what the public finds 'acceptable' to the conservative right.
More specific to this case, the public (hello mushu_jj and other Middle America viewers) needs to take notice of the specific FCC stance that the Central and Mountain timezones are the only timezones in violation of the standards issue. If this case is allowed to proceed to a fine, it will set a precedent against all shows in the last hour of primetime. Those shows will be allowed to air in the Eastern and Pacific timezones, but may be censured from airing in the Central and Mountain timezones. In effect, those timezones will be penalized for the longstanding tradition of airing 'primetime' television an hour earlier than on the coasts.
I take the Family Guy stance on the FCC. Its a parents role to make sure their kids are away from the smut. I have a feeling a major fight is on the way. Could central and mountain time zones soon be following the 8 to 11pm programming model for primetime? I hope not, because it keeps live stuff live in our timezone.
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Originally posted by Obveeus: It seems that 4 years after the fact, the FCC has decided to fine ABC stations in the Central and Mountain timezones for airing an episode of NYPD Blue. FCC link
People need to take notice as the FCC once again attempts to push the line of what the public finds 'acceptable' to the conservative right.
More specific to this case, the public (hello mushu_jj and other Middle America viewers) needs to take notice of the specific FCC stance that the Central and Mountain timezones are the only timezones in violation of the standards issue. If this case is allowed to proceed to a fine, it will set a precedent against all shows in the last hour of primetime. Those shows will be allowed to air in the Eastern and Pacific timezones, but may be censured from airing in the Central and Mountain timezones. In effect, those timezones will be penalized for the longstanding tradition of airing 'primetime' television an hour earlier than on the coasts.
Well I agree that parents should be in charge. However, this isn't surprising
Older people vote. Older people have kids. Parents tend to support censorhip. That's all that needs to be said. I live in liberal New York and my two Senators support censorhip, Schumer not as much, and this policy isn't going to change at all anytime soon.
Besides, in my view a lot more seems to be allowed on tv each year, it hardly seems like the "conservative right" is getting their way.
Posts: 1543 | Location: NY | Registered: 17 November 2006
Originally posted by NYHunter: Well I agree that parents should be in charge. However, this isn't surprising
Older people vote. Older people have kids. Parents tend to support censorhip.
Notice that the FCC claims that there were many complaints about the NYPD Blue boradcast, but it doesn't say how many. In looking at other pages on their website while trying to determine that number I found that they do not disclose this public info. they do have a page that breaks down the complaints by month. It shows wildly varying numbers. One month will have 100,000+ complaints and the next month will have one 1,000. You can be sure that the vast majority of 'complaints' are actually specific groups doing a 'call to arms' and telling their followers what to complain about. In reality, I would guess that next to no one was watching NYPD Blue with their kids and was offended by the scene...except maybe for people that were told in advance specifically that they should watch so that they could be offended.
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Besides, in my view a lot more seems to be allowed on tv each year, it hardly seems like the "conservative right" is getting their way.
You are kidding, right? What is it that is allowed on TV these days that wasn't allowed 10 years ago?
There need to be some responsibilty of the networks as to what is put on TV and when it is aired. But it is a parents responsibility to control what a child watches.
But the biggest issue I have is the FCC. They do not have clear, defined rules as to what is OK and what is not OK. Its arbitrary as to what gets fined.
Good points by TV and NYHunter. As for what wasn't allowed 10 years ago, just watch some episodes of Home Improvement or even Seinfeld. A lot less swearing, but the amount of nudity on TV in general is probably the same, maybe less with NYPD Blue gone. My question to you Obveeus, is do we need more of this stuff? I say no. A show can be somewhat wholesome and still very entertaining. I do think the FCC needs to set up some guidelines though and this fining of central/mountain timezone stations is ridculous so long after it aired.
Originally posted by mushu_jj: Good points by TV and NYHunter. As for what wasn't allowed 10 years ago, just watch some episodes of Home Improvement or even Seinfeld. A lot less swearing,
The subject was nudity, not swearing or violence. The FCC allows all of that they can because the 'right' wants children to grow up comfortable with the idea of killing people, but not with the idea that people can take their clothes off. Somewhere deep inside, you know this to ne true.
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but the amount of nudity on TV in general is probably the same, maybe less with NYPD Blue gone.
You forgot to toss in St. Elsewhere. That evil show dared to let the kiddies know that people are naked under their clothes as well. Of course, the kids aren't watching NYPD Blue or St. Elsewhere so the whole issue is a farce. If the FCC wanted to protect kids they would remove all the talk shows / soaps on in the afternoon when kids are home and unsupervised. That stuff is far more corrupting than NYPD Blue.
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My question to you Obveeus, is do we need more of this stuff? I say no.
We don't 'need' nudity or violence or bad words. We also don't need the FCC to police these issues since 'we' can take care of our own children. Society is not being benefitted in any way by the existence of the FCC 'censorship'. It is just more tax dollars being spent for random enforcement of a value set defined by a minority of the public.
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A show can be somewhat wholesome and still very entertaining.
Which is why the cable shows get all the awards nowadays.
I have a better idea. Why not let me define 'wholesome' instead of you? In my opinion, murder is unwholesome, so I do not want a single broadcast TV show to ever mention murder, show a corpse, talk about a criminal murder case, etc... If they do, they will be fined until they are pulled from the air. I also don't like non-monogomous sex, so no program will be allowed to air if any of the characters are portrayed as sleeping with more than one person. Now, how many of the Top20 scripted shows on broadcast TV will be left?
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I do think the FCC needs to set up some guidelines though and this fining of central/mountain timezone stations is ridculous so long after it aired.
The 10pm time marker is one of the few guidelines the FCC has set out clearly. From this point forward, nothing in the Central and Mountain timezone will be 'safe' if the NYPD fine goes through. They also have clearly spelled out a list of 'naughty words'. Simple enough for programs to avoid those words by inserting something like 'ass' instead of 'asshole' into the script. Of course, the loss of those half dozen 'naughty' words has cost broadcast TV most of the emmys/etc... as people have decided that 'quality' and 'cutting edge' are almost completely defined in that context.
This isn't just a 'right' issue. Lots of people who consider themselves liberal are also for the censorship on TV. I believe NYHunter mentioned how his liberal Senators were for it. I know Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) would be for it because of our earlier TV times. I'm sure there are others, just as there are Republicans who are probably for less censorship (I would assume Rudy would be more liberal when it came to this issue). That said, I still think its a parents issue. As for cable getting all the awards, everyone knows that the critics have gotten to the point where they think the show has to be "edgy" to be good. The general viewing public however does not care about edgy or nudity or swearing. Its partially why the likes of the entire CBS lineup which is very dull in most critics eyes is the most watched lineup on TV.
Originally posted by mushu_jj: The general viewing public however does not care about edgy or nudity or swearing. Its partially why the likes of the entire CBS lineup which is very dull in most critics eyes is the most watched lineup on TV.
How many of those CBS shows can get through even a single episode without a dead body or a casual sex hookup, however? It seems that killing and weak sexual morals are fine, as long as no 'naughty bits' show.
Originally posted by mushu_jj: The general viewing public however does not care about edgy or nudity or swearing. Its partially why the likes of the entire CBS lineup which is very dull in most critics eyes is the most watched lineup on TV.
How many of those CBS shows can get through even a single episode without a dead body or a casual sex hookup, however? It seems that killing and weak sexual morals are fine, as long as no 'naughty bits' show.
Good point but the casual sex hookup on those shows rarely show anything at all and how much of the dead body do you see complete with all the blood and gore? Not very much. You also rarely see a very graphic killing either. If you want edgy or intense killing, I suggest you catch Johnny Depps new film Sweeney Todd.
Wow. It's quite scary that the FCC is setting a precedent of going back 4 years to levy a retroactive fine. If they can do that, who else are they going to hit? Didn't Lucy Lawless' boob fall out at some football game 10 years ago? Ditto for Pam Anderson? Can't we find some incidents from the 80s to get riled up about?
Seriously, there's censorship, and then there's ridiculousness. The US has such a puritanical attitude towards this stuff. I fully believe that it's up to parents to police what their kids are watching and if they can't do that, they probably shouldn't have children.
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Good point but the casual sex hookup on those shows rarely show anything at all and how much of the dead body do you see complete with all the blood and gore? Not very much.
You ever watch Criminal Minds? Outside of being one of the worst series on tv (seriously, so very, very contrived and poorly written), it's sometimes downright offensive. But nobody ever looks at that. What kind of society glorifies violence and murder but shuns sex and the human body?
Originally posted by DB108: Wow. It's quite scary that the FCC is setting a precedent of going back 4 years to levy a retroactive fine. If they can do that, who else are they going to hit? Didn't Lucy Lawless' boob fall out at some football game 10 years ago? Ditto for Pam Anderson? Can't we find some incidents from the 80s to get riled up about?
Seriously, there's censorship, and then there's ridiculousness. The US has such a puritanical attitude towards this stuff. I fully believe that it's up to parents to police what their kids are watching and if they can't do that, they probably shouldn't have children.
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Good point but the casual sex hookup on those shows rarely show anything at all and how much of the dead body do you see complete with all the blood and gore? Not very much.
You ever watch Criminal Minds? Outside of being one of the worst series on tv (seriously, so very, very contrived and poorly written), it's sometimes downright offensive. But nobody ever looks at that. What kind of society glorifies violence and murder but shuns sex and the human body?
What's truly scary is that this is timezone specific. Central and Mountain timezeones have traditionally aired programs 1 hour earlier than the East and West Coasts, the FCC just figured that out and now they are applying censorship accordingly.
Originally posted by Zedman2: What's truly scary is that this is timezone specific. Central and Mountain timezeones have traditionally aired programs 1 hour earlier than the East and West Coasts, the FCC just figured that out and now they are applying censorship accordingly.
Exactly. That timezone effect is what people should take notice of as the networks will only have 2 options if the fine is allowed to go through: 1. Do further editing on the 10pm EST shows before airing them in the Central/mountain timezones. 2. Change the long time standard for 'primetime' in the Central/Mountain timezones to make them 8pm-11pm like the coasts.
Either way, this attempt to fine ABC can set a big precedent.
Originally posted by Obveeus: 2. Change the long time standard for 'primetime' in the Central/Mountain timezones to make them 8pm-11pm like the coasts.
I don't ever see this happening. Central timezone folks have always liked being able to see everything live. By moving it back, it will really screw with things imo. People here are used to watching things earlier in the evening.
Watching the Democratic debate on CNN tonight and they were asked about the FCC overseeing television programming. Obama made a response that he didn't think horror movies should be allowed to advertise during shows like American Idol.
So, I guess we have a case of 'pick your poison'.
The Republicans will continue to support glorified violence, but they want TV puritanical when it comes to sexuality.
The democrats will still back the FCC, but will toss violent themes into the list of unacceptable at any time/cost issues.
There is probably no hope that the FCC 'standards' will be done away with...and the government will likely want to expand the issue to cover internet content as well. Can't wait to see the time when you cannot download the episode of NYPD Blue without proof of age and even then you will have to wait until after 10pm.
