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How do you think the Supreme Court's ruling in favor of the FCC's stricter indecency standards will affect your newsroom? Apr 29 2009 |
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Supreme Court FCC Ruling
When I began my broadcast career nearly 40 years ago, journalists used a seven-second delay for live broadcasts to give the control board operator time to “bleep” language considered either obscene, inflammatory or libelous. The color of colloquial language and nature of public discourse may have deteriorated during the decades, but the technology to prevent their “accidental” broadcast has not. The FCC certainly is empowered to regulate and supervise broadcast stations that, afterall, are granted a license to use (not own) the airwaves for the public’s “interest, convenience or necessity.” Whether this FCC mandate should continue is a question for the Congress and Supreme Court to decide at a future date. Meanwhile, broadcasters should stop worrying about whether this latest Supreme Court decision imposes any new worries or constraints on their First Amendment rights. It doesn’t. Just keep your keep your finger on that delay button.
By steve coon on May 01 2009
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