Smutty Network TV? FCC Doesn’t Care

I cancelled my satellite dish last February and have been off cable television for two years. I resumed watching television recently when I discovered I could receive three channels for free with an indoor antenna.
After not watching television for months, I am surprised at the amount of sexual content in programs that air at an hour when young children are watching. The language and situations currently seen on network television would have caused television stations to lose their licenses when I was growing up in the 1960 and 70s.
I remember Rob and Laura Petrie on the Dick Van Dyke Show sleeping in twin beds as did Lucy and Ricky on “I Love Lucy.” When Lucy became pregnant, network censors would not allow the use of the word “pregnant,” but instead had her referred to as “expecting.” Often I hear something during the 8 p.m. hour on network television and wonder what I would do if I had young children in the house watching TV with me.
I recently spoke with Melissa Henson, director of communications and public education for the Parents Television Council (PTC). In my childhood years, television stations displayed the seal of approval from the National Association of Broadcasters for following good standards for programs. Henson said the seal of approval was eliminated after it was somehow blamed for collusion of stations to set ad rates.
She said the entire code of conduct was dismantled, including rules and regulations of TV content. Henson said she saw a change in program content after that happened in the early 90s.
In the early 80s, the first two hours of prime time programming were “clean” programs such as “Family Ties” and “The Cosby Show.” More mature themes aired later in the evening. Henson said that changed in the 90s with more adult themes airing in the family hour.
“Once that barrier was broken, things just accelerated very quickly,” said Henson.
Whatever happened to censors and standards and practices departments at the networks? She said they actually do remove quite a bit of content from scripts, but have loosened their standards.
The TV V-Chip system displays small letters in the top right portion of your TV screen. A designation such as TV14 indicates sex, violence and adult language and MA for mature audiences only. PTC Founder and President Brent Bozell predicted that the V-Chip ratings system would make things worse on television since the networks have a warning system. The networks can then say if a child is exposed to inappropriate content, it is the fault of parents.
Henson said studies indicate there is a lack of understanding of the ratings and how to set up the V-Chip in your television to block out programs. The networks rate their own programs for content rather than independent body, she said.
“We also see the networks using the TV ratings as a justification for dismantling the FCC’s enforcement authority,” said Henson.
Do television networks ever get cited for inappropriate content? Henson said under FCC Chairman Michael Powell and prior to Powell, there was no enforcement. She said Powell expressed no interest in fining television stations for indecent TV content until “he was publically shamed into doing that.”
Two, high visibility incidents were Bono of the rock group U2 using the “F” word during Golden Globe Awards telecast and Janet Jackson’s breast exposure during a Super Bowl half time show. Henson said the FCC, under Chairman Kevin Martin, was much more aggressive in fining broadcasters. She said any fines issued by the FCC where immediately challenged by the networks, which made their way to the Supreme Court level.
A case involving use of the “F” word and the “S” on the Fox Network during the Billboard Music Awards also went to the Supreme Court, which refused to rule on the constitutionality, whether FCC enforcement is a violation of the First Amendment. It was remanded to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, which dismantled the FCC’s enforcement authority in respect to “fleeting expletives,” said Henson.
A case is pending dealing with nudity on TV involving the Janet Jackson costume mishap and others. Henson said it is unknown whether the FCC will have the authority to fine broadcasters for nudity. She said the FCC has not undertaken any enforcement for the last two to three years.
Henson said the networks have shown very little interest in producing family programming “because they have determined there is no market for it.” She said the networks seem to believe if you want to attract an audience of 18 to 34-year-old men, you need to have a show like “Two and Half Men,” with numerous references to pornography and prostitution.
Interestingly, when the networks offer family programs, those shows tend to do very well like “American Idol,” and “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” said Henson.
She suggested parents sit down with their children and look at the TV schedule for the week ahead and plan viewing time carefully.
PTC shares my concern for the numerous Cialis/Viagra ads on television. The drug companies have been arguing with Food and Drug Administration about the disclaimer language on the commercial which with “E.D.” drugs is graphic: the four hour you-know-what.
PTC posts on its website, www.parentstv.org, the schedule of commercials for such drugs, so parents can avoid the ads. The website also rates the weekly TV schedule in color codes of red, green and yellow for appropriateness for family viewing.