Quote:
Originally posted by lumberjim
THIS is the kind of thing I need the FCC to protect me from, not Howard fucking Stern saying "asshole" on the radio.
|
It's allll about protecting the children. (It used to be the women and the children, but now it's mostly the children.) "Surely, Senator, you wouldn't vote for legislation that would allow Howard Stern to interview known rap singers about clitoris piercing and vibrators while first graders are listening?" "Well, I, uhh...."
Beestie, the theory is that the frequencies devoted to public broadcasts are owned by the people of the USA, and are apportioned out to licensees (i.e. TV and radio stations) by the government. Since these natural resources (the broadcast spectrum) are a public resource, the government has an interest in making sure that these licensees a) behave themselves and b) serve the public interest. (b) was always a lip services kind of thing, but I don't know if they even give it lip service any more.) Cable TV is different because it does not make exclusive use of a natural resource, and also because people make a decision to pay to receive it, whereas the radio & TV over the air are just polluting your house whether you like it or not. Ditto for print... it's not a limited resource, and you have to buy it. Or at least pick it up.