Bush Signs Law Boosting Indecency Fines

BUSH SIGNS LAW BOOSTING INDECENCY FINES
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Jeremy Pelofsky]
President Bush on Thursday signed into law legislation that raises fines tenfold for radio and television broadcasters that violate U.S. decency standards by airing extensive profanity or sexual content. The new law, which boosts fines to as much as $325,000 per violation from $32,500, could help congressional Republicans woo conservatives in a tough election year as they have faced ebbing support from key core constituencies. The Christian Coalition had placed legislation to increase the fines as the No. 5 item on its 2006 legislative agenda. The new law also caps any continuing violations from an incident at $3 million. While President Bush said that parents are the first line of defense for monitoring what their children listen to and watch, he added that broadcasters have a responsibility as well. "This law will ensure that broadcasters take seriously their duty to keep the public airwaves free of obscene, profane and indecent material," President Bush said at a signing ceremony with lawmakers who sponsored the bill and the five FCC commissioners. President Bush said the old maximum fine was a problem because "for some broadcasters, this amount is meaningless."
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=industryNews&storyID...

* President Bush's remarks: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/06/20060615-1.html

* Bush Signs Bill Upping Indecency Fines
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6344305.html?display=Breaking+News

* President Signs Indecency Bill
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6344118?display=Breaking+News

* New Indecency Fines Take Effect Thursday
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6344013?display=Breaking+News

* Bush Signs Legislation On Broadcast Decency
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/15/AR200606...

* A Wardrobe Malfunction and You'll Lose Your Shirt, So to Speak
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/15/AR200606...

Also see:
* Mission Not Accomplished Against Indecency
[Commentary] "Since everyone including President Bush agrees that it's up to parents to control what their kids watch, why don't politicians and regulators finally give parents the complete set of tools they need to do just that -- freedom to choose what they want to watch and the power to avoid what they don't? Instead of imposing censorship under the guise of "victory for America's families," while quietly promoting policies that deny those families real solutions?
http://www.creativevoices.us/php-bin/news/showArticle.php?id=159&PHPSESS...