99.8% of FCC Complaints come from ONE group

[Guest Cerebus]

Link thanks to our old buddy Drudge:

 

The number of indecency complaints had soared dramatically to more than 240,000 in the previous year, Powell said. The figure was up from roughly 14,000 in 2002, and from fewer than 350 in each of the two previous years. There was, Powell said, “a dramatic rise in public concern and outrage about what is being broadcast into their homes.”

 

 

What Powell did not reveal—apparently because he was unaware—was the source of the complaints. According to a new FCC estimate obtained by Mediaweek, nearly all indecency complaints in 2003—99.8 percent—were filed by the Parents Television Council, an activist group.

 

This year, the trend has continued, and perhaps intensified.

 

Through early October, 99.9 percent of indecency complaints—aside from those concerning the Janet Jackson “wardrobe malfunction” during the Super Bowl halftime show broadcast on CBS— were brought by the PTC, according to the FCC analysis dated Oct. 1. (The agency last week estimated it had received 1,068,767 complaints about broadcast indecency so far this year; the Super Bowl broadcast accounted for over 540,000, according to commissioners’ statements.)

 

The prominent role played by the PTC has raised concerns among critics of the FCC’s crackdown on indecency. “It means that really a tiny minority with a very focused political agenda is trying to censor American television and radio,” said Jonathan Rintels, president and executive director of the Center for Creative Voices in Media, an artists’ advocacy group.

...

In such a system, even the number of complaints becomes an object of contention. For example, the agency on Oct. 12, in proposing fines of nearly $1.2 million against Fox Broadcasting and its affiliates, said it received 159 complaints against Married by America, which featured strippers partly obscured by pixilation.

 

But when asked, the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau said it could find only 90 complaints from 23 individuals. (The smaller total was first reported by Internet-based TV writer Jeff Jarvis; Mediaweek independently obtained the Enforcement Bureau’s calculation.)

 

And Fox, in a filing last Friday, told the FCC that it should rescind the proposed fines, in part because the low number of complaints fell far short of indicating that community standards had been violated.

 

Some of you old wrestling fans might remember PTC from a few years ago, if I recall there was even a parody of PTC with Steve Richards & The Godfather. It turns out these morons are back in the news and that more than just us will realize how idiotic they are.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Sigh. I like Joe Lieberman and all, but damn.

 

Wonder what they were complaining about? A quarter-million!?...

[Special K 0]

Probably 'Nip/Tuck'

 

They should be fined, damn it. Anytime you flood a government agency with requests like this, you cost taxpayers money and take away from other citizens who are making complaints.

[Slayer 0]

Tiny minority indeed... I've never met anyone who was so offended by TnA or dirty words on TV/radio that they felt the need to complain. Even my uptight religious family members stick with the simple solution of changing the channel (plus explaining to the kiddies, if necessary) and moving on with their lives.

 

I'd like to meet these whiny bitches, really, I would

[1234-5678 0]

Let's set up a "Morality" convention at some remote building in North Dakota, and then when they all show up, blow the fucker up. It's the only solution, because nutjobs like this will never, ever shut the fuck up.

 

Of course, I could always just move to Canada.

[Special K 0]

The PTC truly exemplifies the ethos of sex and the word 'shit' being nasty, vile and sinful, while violence is A-OK USA!

 

See Buffy, it was pretty much always a pretty violent show, but once the main character has a little sex, it's voted the worst show on TV.

 

It never complains about R-rated movies shown with pretty much only the language cut being broadcast in the afternoon, but on Nip/Tuck they have sex! And say the S-word! Never mind that it's on at 10:00 PM. It'll never change. Remember NYPD Blue? Violence, bah. They showed a rear end!

 

This is TRULY twisted. I like a good ol' violent movie, but I'd rather kids were exposed to a bum than squibs flying all over the place in a Seagal movie shown at like 4:00. I'd probably rather that than them watching people prostitute themselves on reality shows as well, truth be told.

[Guest Cerebus]

Let's set up a "Morality" convention at some remote building in North Dakota, and then when they all show up, blow the fucker up. It's the only solution, because nutjobs like this will never, ever shut the fuck up.

 

Of course, I could always just move to Canada.

Hippy.

[DerangedHermit 0]

Let's set up a "Morality" convention at some remote building in North Dakota, and then when they all show up, blow the fucker up. It's the only solution, because nutjobs like this will never, ever shut the fuck up.

 

Of course, I could always just move to Canada.

Hippy.

Dumb fuckwad.

[Special K 0]

I swear, 50% of the posts in CE are now just 'hippy'. And now I'm posting about it. Oh, the irony.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Hippie.

 

And if memory serves, the PTC also whines a good deal about violence, too...

[Special K 0]

They do, but it's incidental. They pick out shows that are sexually explicit.

The shows I can remember them just losing their mind about are:

 

WWF

Buffy

Nip/Tuck

 

They complained more about the sexuality in the WWF than anything. Likewise, as I said, they didn't have too much of a problem with Buffy until it had a couple quite suggestive sex scenes.

Nip/Tuck can be occasionally violent, but they raised way more of a stink about it than The Shield, which is a very brutal show. Why? Sex.

 

Now they carp on violence of course, but it's sex that makes them single out shows.

[1234-5678 0]

Let's set up a "Morality" convention at some remote building in North Dakota, and then when they all show up, blow the fucker up. It's the only solution, because nutjobs like this will never, ever shut the fuck up.

 

Of course, I could always just move to Canada.

Hippy.

There's not much hippy about wanting to blow up a bunch of stuff shirted conservatives.

 

Wait a second, yes there is.............

[Slayer 0]

I'm glad I haven't fallen into the trap of calling people ''hippies''

[Guest Cerebus]

Yet.

 

Anyway, so much for this whole "enraged community" shit that Powell keeps spitting out. Hopefully this will hit NY Times or Washington Post and gets a lot of widespread MSM exposure.

[Dr. Tom 0]

I'm glad I haven't fallen into the trap of calling people ''hippies''

Ah, but you will.

 

Hippie.

 

See, it's inescapable.

 

Anyway, I can't imagine why the PTC *hasn't* raised a fuss about "The Shield." There's the steady stream of violence and fairly regular cursing. We've also had the Julien storyline unfolding, with myriad references to him being gay (some rather explicit), and his efforts to have a child with his wife after being "rehabilitated." This year, we had Acevada forced to blow some criminal. "The Shield" is a great show, but I'm surprised the PTC busybodies haven't flooded the FCC with crap about it yet.

[Guest Cerebus]

FCC can't hit them for stuff on cable tv I believe.

[Guest Retro Rob]

No they can't, but the PTC attacks cable shows in the hopes of driving away their advertisers.

[Slayer 0]

I'm glad I haven't fallen into the trap of calling people ''hippies''

Ah, but you will.

 

Hippie.

I haven't quite progressed past the "fag" stage...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fag

[DerangedHermit 0]

I'm glad I haven't fallen into the trap of calling people ''hippies''

Ah, but you will.

 

Hippie.

I haven't quite progressed past the "fag" stage...

 

 

Fag

Homophobe.

[2GOLD 0]

No they can't, but the PTC attacks cable shows in the hopes of driving away their advertisers.

 

They already tried that with "The Shield" and the advertisers were ones that had dealt with the PTC in the past.

 

And by dealt with, I mean they laughed at them and kept sponsoring shows.

 

Advertisers of "The Shield" aren't stupid, they know exactly what they are walking into and the PTC has been unable to make a dent in them. Same goes for "Nip/Tuck".

 

FX does a good job of making sure they are dealing with smart sponsors and not the moronic ones who will believe anything the PTC shovels.

[GreatWhiteNope 0]

I find it hilarious the majority of programming they approve of is either "Touched By An Angel" or shows involving Bob Saget.

[ZGangsta 0]

Ah, the PTC lost a butload of credibility when they were forced to apologize to the WWE.

Here's the details

 

As part of the settlement, Bozell has agreed to meet with some of the WWE advertisers his group targeted and personally explain his apology.

I love that part.

 

Man, screw those losers. And screw 7th Heaven (their favorite show) even more.

[Guest Failed Mascot]

If these people don't continuously complain then they may actually have to pay attention to their children and tell them to "turn the channel". You don't know what kind of stress they are under.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

I'm glad I haven't fallen into the trap of calling people ''hippies''

That's because it's used more of a term of endearment and nobody likes you.

 

Fag.

 

Crap, I've regressed...

[Guest PlatinumBoy]

Ah, the PTC lost a butload of credibility when they were forced to apologize to the WWE.

Here's the details

 

As part of the settlement, Bozell has agreed to meet with some of the WWE advertisers his group targeted and personally explain his apology.

I love that part.

 

Man, screw those losers. And screw 7th Heaven (their favorite show) even more.

I love the PTC's approval of 7th Heaven--the show with one of the most shrill, bitchy, manipulative mothers in tv history. My roomates and I watch it for the comedy value and basically MST3k it, but the mom on that is just a total bitch. However, Arrested Development got a red light from them as being indecent and evil--but Michael Bluth is 100 times better than the parents on 7th Heaven.

[Slayer 0]

I think Ruthie got naked in a recent episode

 

...I could be wrong though

[Highland 0]

Yet.

 

Anyway, so much for this whole "enraged community" shit that Powell keeps spitting out. Hopefully this will hit NY Times or Washington Post and gets a lot of widespread MSM exposure.

I doubt it'll even get much of a mention, and it won't make any difference until the policies of the FCC are changed so that this can't happen again.