FCC Levies Record Indecency Fine

Carl Bialik from WSJ writes "The FCC proposed a record $3.6 million fine against a single TV show, penalizing CBS and its affiliates for an episode of 'Without a Trace' that suggested a teenage sexual orgy, in the first batch of indecency fines proposed in more than a year, the Wall Street Journal reports. 'Overall, the FCC's action didn't provide a broad sweeping vision for broadcasters about what is appropriate for television,' the WSJ says. 'Notably, the FCC backed away from an effort to impose higher fines by holding all network affiliates responsible for a broadcast, instead of just the stations that had been flagged by a viewer in a complaint.'"

sex is immoral

[Adult film producer]

Good thing we have the Bush administration to help us with these ultra liberal television networks. Next thing you know gays will be marrying giraffes and marriage will be worthless. Shame on them.

Well hell...

[twocoasttb]

Where was the FCC when that Golden Girls show was on? Gosh darn it, some of that stuff was indecent. Sure, the characters were wrinklies, not teen agers, but you get my point. Wait, am I confusing this with Matlock?

The Clip in Question

[Castar]

I posted this in another thread, here's the clip in question, thoughtfully brought to you by the Parents' Television Council! Let's hear a round of applause for their diligence in bringing teenage orgy footage online.

http://www.parentstv.org/ptc/action/withoutatrace/ content.htm [parentstv.org]

Re:Link to clip

[Hrodvitnir]

Ok, the next time you link pr0n on the internet, please have the decency to link to something worthwhile! I didn't see one nipple. I will never get those 3 minutes back.

The clip

[ENIGMAwastaken]

http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/clips/worst/WithoutaT race_orgy.wmv [parentstv.org]

That's not an 'orgy', that's underwear sex.

There's a huge difference. Or so I hear...

Seriously, this isn't with 3.6 mil, no way, no how. I mean, I could barely get off to it...

Re:Link to clip

[clem]

Having read the description, I guess what bothers me most is a group of teenagers having sex sans any awkwardness whatsoever. No accidently leaning on the girl's hair. No premature "exuberance". No fumbling with birth control. No overly eager groping. There's not even any shyness or strained silence. It appears that when these kids turned 16 the "hump like a porn star" gene was triggered. Did we all just go to the wrong high schools?

Morality

[Anonymous Coward]

I know you were modded 'Funny' and I get your 'Joke'.
 
Sex in itself is not immoral, but perhaps a group of teenage sons and daughters (who likely do not understand the responsibilities that come with sex) having an orgy is. Of course, if there is a problem with teenage orgies in America, ignoring the problem is not the answer either.

Have any of you actually seen it?

[IHSW]

Ignoring all the knee-jerk reactions, you should watch the video yourself before you post.
Here: http://www.parentstv.org/ptc/action/withoutatrace/ content.htm [parentstv.org] [wmv alert]

Rated PG and airing at 10PM on CBS, it's a drunken teen party where everybody not afraid to find a partner (or 2, 3, ...) and get busy. Granted, that's not what the show is all about.

According to CBS.com [cbs.com]:
WITHOUT A TRACE is a riveting procedural drama about the New York Missing Persons Squad of the FBI. The sole responsibility of the special task force is to find missing persons by applying advanced psychological profiling techniques to peel back the layers of the victims' lives and trace their whereabouts in an effort to discover whether they have been abducted, been murdered, committed suicide or simply run away. The team reconstructs a "Day of Disappearance" timeline that details every minute of the 24 hours prior to the disappearance and digs into every facet of the victim's life, following one simple rule: learn who the victim is in order to learn where the victim is.

Watered down CSI? Maybe. The show focuses on teen victims, so that probably explains the placement of that scene (flashback, actually).

I really don't think CBS deserved this, but they'll likely take it for fear of negative PR. It shows at 10PM for chrissake's! Who watches TV at that hour and isn't a pervert?

2c

Re:The Clip in Question

[Castar]

But thanks to them, you didn't have to watch what was probably a tedious hour of television! They thoughtfully found the very best bits and put them up. That's why I love the PTC. ;-)

This is just like time-shifting, it's just awesomeness-shifting.

Billionaires and Humorists unite

[murderlegendre]

Just think about this one.. If you've got the cha-ching, and a dry sense of humor, the possibilities are about unlimited. Buy a block of network airtime, and just say any old god damn thing that amuses you. You could say things like shit, fuck, cunt, or even "I shit your fucking cunt lol!1!1". Just pay the fines on the way out the door, and you are gold.

Take a guy like Gates.. he could sing "Uncle Fucker" from the South Park movie, quote highlights from "The Aristocrats" and finish up with an 8mm snuff flim, and the fines would be below the noise floor on his balance sheet.

But no.. it's all about the medicine for African childern. If they're really so poor, why are they living in Africa? I can't even afford to visit that place..

Sorry, what was I saying?

Re:Hmm - gotta start watching that show

[darkmeridian]

"I vote for the later, since I'd rather be invited to an orgy, than be shot."

How about shooting someone?

Re:good for the series I'd say

[Anonymous Coward]

Thanks for the link. This site is awesome. They rip and host all the best stuff from TV so I don't have to hunt for it myself. I just did a search for all the wmvs on their site and there's some good stuff like this Family Guy Clip [parentstv.org]

Re:Fuck indecency rules

[stor]

Nah, I think he got modded up for the "whiny-ass bitches" bit.

"Whiny-ass bitches": I couldn't agree more.

Cheers
Stor

Re:sex is immoral (Off-topic)

[rkanodia]

Ah, prenups... nothing like contractual obligations to make people feel like they trust each other.

Re:Free Society?

[drooling-dog]

I don't recall anyone here defending or excusing the tyrants that you mention here. The fact that you cite them as Bush's peers speaks volumes, though. Maybe it's you that needs to re-examine the worthiness of your heroes.

Re:What I don't Understand

[freeweed]

And yet like most Slashdot posters parroting this sentiment, you probably stood in line for hours to see Anakin get his limbs graphically sliced off and dunked in lava.

And like most Slashdotters, I would have stood in line for MANY MORE hours to see Anakin get his "limb" graphically inserted into Natalie Portman.

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:sex is immoral (Off-topic)

[dwandy]

"Over 50% of marriages end in divorce."

...yeah, but fully 100% of divorces start with marriage... that's the real culprit here.

Re:sex is immoral (Off-topic)

[Foobar of Borg]

But you don't understand. This is America. Everything is about financial transactions! Now, quit that seditious talk, or I'll have you dragged to the Sacred Marketplace and thrown off the tallest spire of the Tower of Commerce.