This morning, the Senate Commerce Committee held hearings about regulating indecency on television. Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) and some of his colleagues seem intent on curbing broadcast and cablecast indecency by new legislation or some extra-legislative means, notwithstanding the fact that extending such regulations to cable and the internet would violate the First Amendment.
IPtelligentsia Podcast: Senate Decency Hearings (Part 1 of 3) (30:33 MP3)
Related links:
Decency: Full Committee Hearing (witness list and archived webcast)
FCC v. Pacifica Foundation, 438 U.S. 726 (1978).
United States v. Playboy Entertainment Group, Inc., 529 U.S. 803 (2000).
Reno v. Am. Civil Liberties Union, 521 U.S. 844 (1997).
Sable Communications v. FCC, 492 U.S. 115, 127 (1989).
Action for Children’s Television v. FCC, 58 F.3d 654 (1995)
Jeff Jarvis, BuzzMachine: Being Heard on Indecency and the FCC: "it is shameful that Brent Bozell is heard — though he does not represent mainstream America — and no one is called on to speak for First Amendment rights in a Senate hearing about government restricting speech."
Comcast Parental Controls
Comcast unveils Family Tier
FCC: Obscenity, Indeceny and Profanity
USA Today: Congress takes issue with family TV tiers
Previously: Videoblog: Arrested Development Indecency Ruling
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