Let me repeat: the FCC has to go
Broadcasting & Cable reports that “The FCC has given about 40 ABC affiliates two days–until Feb. 21–to pay their fine–$27,500 apiece–for airing a bare behind in an episode of NYPD Blue.” Really. A bare behind. Cover the children’s eyes, Mabel.
I find this to be so far out-of-touch with reality that it’s fair to ask how long the people of this country will stand for this kind of dictatorial nonsense. The episode was aired five friggin’ years ago, people! Five years ago (at a time when, perhaps, stations actually had money to pay for this kind of intellectual rape. “Thank you, sir. May I have another?”)! Was the episode repeated in cable syndication?
In my view, this action accomplishes three things:
- It makes the whole process look terribly bad, as in it stinks!
- It satisfies the extreme right wing of the Republican party.
- It hurts broadcasters at a time when they need less restriction to be competitive with those who aren’t handcuffed by governmental showboats seeking only to swing their weenies.
The FCC has long outlived its usefulness, and it needs to go. The closer we get to a wired culture, the lesser the government can justify censorship in the name of ownership of the airwaves. Watch for efforts by the FCC to regulate the content of cable next.
