3 Letters to FCC = $1.2 Million fine

[CBL4]

With not much original reporting, I discovered that the latest big fine by the FCC against a TV network -- a record $1.2 million against Fox for its "sexually suggestive" Married by America -- was brought about by a mere three people who actually composed letters of complaint. Yes, just three people.
...
I just received the FCC's reply with a copy of all the complaints -- and a letter explaining that, well, there weren't 159 after all. William H. Davenport, chief of the FCC's Investigations and Hearings Divison, admits in his letter that because the complaints were sent to multiple individuals at the FCC, it turns out there actually were only 90 complaints. It gets better: The FCC confesses that they come from only 23 individuals.
...
But it gets even better: I examined the complaints and found that all but two of them were virtually identical
...
So in the end, that means that a grand total of three citizens bothered to take the time to sit down and actually write a letter of complaint to the FCC. Millions of people watched the show. Three wrote letters of complaint. http://www.buzzmachine.com/archives/2004_11_15.html#008481

[Rob Lister]

Originally posted by CBL4
http://www.buzzmachine.com/archives/2004_11_15.html#008481

http://www.buzzmachine.com/pix/fccletter1.jpg

If the contents of just what is shown is true, then it works for me. Perhaps next time FOX will reconsider pushing the line as far as they have.

Push more slowly. Foreplay is important too.

1.x mil gets their attention.

[jj]

Well, hate speech is also limited.

So, the next time that a religious lunatic calls for the death, disenfranchisement, etc, of atheists, or disparages atheists in any fashion, why don't we see if a similar number of letters has the same effect?

[Rob Lister]

Originally posted by jj
Well, hate speech is also limited.


Actually, it isn't.

[HarryKeogh]

Originally posted by Rob Lister
Actually, it isn't.

Yeah, I think Rob is right, hate speech is allowed.

But blasphemous speech isn't!

http://www.usatoday.com/money/media/2004-03-08-bono_x.htm

"In recent years, the FCC has invoked anti-profanity rules only for blasphemous comments. "



so the next time you hear God damn (or just plain "damn" for that matter) on the TV or radio make sure to write the FCC. Thankfully, there are no gray areas as to what is and isn't indecent, profane or obscene. It's a totally objective issue and we'll never have to worry about double standards when fines are applied.

And don't ask why the state is getting involved with fining blasphemous speech, no one cares what you heathens are thinking anyway.

And all sarcasm aside, I find the idea of a show that marries people off based on a telephone vote by viewers to be far more offensive than someone spanking a stripper on said show. But I don't think bad taste should be fined either.

[CBL4]

I will defend almost no content on FOX but I will defend their right to idiocy, blasphemy, obscenity and extremely poor taste.

CBL

[TragicMonkey]

Fox wouldn't air "When You Wish Upon A Weinstein", the final episode of Family Guy because it might have been seen as offensive to Catholics and Jews for blasphemy. On the DVD commentary, Seth McFarlane is still quite bitter about it.

I applaud the Cartoon Network, which aired the episode when they got the series later. To my knowledge, both the Catholic Church and Judaism survived the cartoon's airing.

[Dorian Gray]

So if a crime has only three witnesses, we shouldn't prosecute. Got it. Fox is such a baby.

[TragicMonkey]

Originally posted by Dorian Gray
So if a crime has only three witnesses, we shouldn't prosecute. Got it. Fox is such a baby.

And in the case of television, nothing can be aired if Don Wildmon, Jerry Falwell, and Pat Robertson object to it.

[nightwind]

I personally think that the FCC has gotten a little ridiculous and out of control. They overeact to things that do not matter to a hill of beans. Are they ran by the so called "evangelicals"?

And kids are not going to really notice the violence, etc in shows like Private Ryan. They are too busy blowing people up Halo!

Does the FCC make money off of these fines? Or is it just poor or ridiculous judgement by those that make the decisions?

[DaveW]

Originally posted by Dorian Gray
So if a crime has only three witnesses, we shouldn't prosecute. Got it. Fox is such a baby.

Except for it to be a crime, you would actually have to break a law, right? Aren't these FCC fines based on FCC statutes/whatever and not actual laws?

[HarryKeogh]

Originally posted by Dorian Gray
So if a crime has only three witnesses, we shouldn't prosecute. Got it. Fox is such a baby.

but if millions of people are watching a show, odds are that something on it is going to offend someone.

The vast majority (well, over 99.999%) of people watching it were not offended or at least offended enough to write a letter. So tough on those 3 people.

Of course the FCC disagrees with me.

[CBL4]

Since I posted this, I realized that this thing misses the important point. If ten of thousands of people protested an inane TV show, it still would not deserve a fine. Millions of people liked it. Perhaps they had incredibly poor taste but they have the right to their tastes.

And FOX has this right called Freedom of the Press. I guess the FCC missed this part of the constitution. It gives people the right to publish or televise unpopular things. Even ones that people considered offensive.

Our founding fathers had such ridiculously liberal views, I amazed they could get elected.

CBL

[CFLarsen]

Show a tit on American TV, and all hell breaks loose.

Show an American soldier kill a wounded man on TV, and nobody cares.

We do live in interesting times.

[HarryKeogh]

Originally posted by CFLarsen
Show a tit on American TV, and all hell breaks loose.

Show an American soldier kill a wounded man on TV, and nobody cares.

We do live in interesting times.

I don't think that's a fair analogy. (especially since plenty of people do care)


A better analogy would be show a bad guy kill 5 people in a one hour crime drama and no one cares.

[Zep]

If the FCC is going to be such a blubbery sissy bunch of wimpoids, why not use this for good and not evil?

Send in letters each and every time Sylvia Browne appears on Montel, and whatever other inane shows she inhabits. Complain of...well...anything at all, really. Say she's racist, ageist, anti-God with her "soothsaying", whatever. And best of all, get Pat Robertson and all the other God-botherers to write in too. See how long before anything happens.

The end justifies the means (so your pres. seems to think), so go on! Be like George - prosecute heavily by fictitious hearsay.

Oh but DO sort of forget to mention you are an atheist or even just a skeptic, OK? And ixnay on the andiRay too. These are not relevant. Really.

[glsunder]

Sounds like a good source of income to me:

Dear FOX,
As a freelance Obscenity reporter, I am offering my services to your company for a mere $25 per review. I'll be reviewing each of your shows as they air. Unpurchased reviews will be donated to the public domain via the FCC.

Perhaps I should just pattent this business model? If I could charge royalties, I wouldnt even have to watch all the crappy shows.

[Zep]

Sounds good! Land of opportunity - go for it!

[Dorian Gray]

Community standards. If only 3 out of millions write letters, it must be acceptable. It's not the FCC who should decide - they should preside, not decide. The public is like the jury - 3 for guilty, millions for not guilty.