JM78's Journal: A Bad Day in Court for the FCC

The FCC in the last few years has spent an awful lot of time on television indecency issues generally because family groups flood the FCC with complaints. The FCC refuses to give TV broadcasters any guidelines or preview any content, noting that that would be "censorship." Instead, they give vague guidelines and will only fine you if you fail to meet the hidden standards.

The Technology Liberation Front is reporting on how the networks are now fighting back in court. In hearings yesterday a 3-judge panel blasted the FCC on a variety of points. Notably, the judges questioned why the FCC feels the need to take over the parents' role in policing what children see on TV, stating clearly that it's the parents' responsibility to monitor what their kids watch - it's the parents' responsibility to protect the children, not the government's. It appears the court has taken a pretty hostile view towards the FCC's general approach to fining broadcasters over indecency.

Let's hope this trend continues to quash the ridiculous recent trend that has spurred individuals like Jack Thompson to blame everything under the sun for 'harming the children' except the parents who obviously aren't parenting.