Citizens for Community Values
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Indecent Broadcasting

  1. What do you mean by "indecent or offensive broadcasting" on radio and TV?
    1. Offensive is best illustrated by the "The Motion Picture Code 1930-1966" that the broadcast media use to abide by (see The Motion Picture Code p. 19).
    2. Indecency means "language that in context, depicts or describes, in terms patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards in the broadcast medium, sexual or excretory activities or organs," FCC v. Pacifica, 1978.
    3. Secular public radio stations have as one of their priorities, programs and disk jockeys that regularly air indecent and offensive programs - all for the sake of "ratings" and money.
    4. Prime time television stations are airing more and more programs that contain indecency and offensive language or scenes - all for the sake of "ratings" and money.
  2. What else has the United States Supreme Court stated about broadcast indecency?

    1. Again, broadcast indecency means "language that in context, depicts or describes, in terms patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards in the broadcast medium, sexual or excretory activities or organs."
    2. The court also stated in FCC v. Pacific, 1978:
      1. "The broadcast media have established a uniquely pervasive presence in the lives of all Americans. Patently offensive, indecent material presented over the airwaves confronts the citizen, not only in public, but also in the privacy of the home, where the individual's right to be left alone plainly outweighs the First Amendment rights of an intruder."
      2. "Because the broadcast audience is constantly tuning in and out, prior warnings cannot completely protect the listener or viewer from unexpected program content. To say that one may avoid further offense by turning off the radio when they hear indecent language is like saying that the remedy for an assault is to run away after the first blow. One may hang up on an indecent phone call, but that option does not give the caller a constitutional immunity or avoid a harm that has already taken place."
      3. "Broadcasting is uniquely accessible to children, even those too young to read. The government's interest in the "well-being of its youth" and in supporting "parents' claim to authority in their own household" justified the regulation of otherwise protected expression."
      4. "The ease with which children may obtain access to broadcast material, coupled with the concerns recognized (by the court), amply justify special treatment of indecent broadcasting."
    3. Most individuals probably don't listen to very many secular radio and television stations or programs such as The Jerry Springer Show, so why should they be concerned about offensive or indecency broadcasting?
      1. What do the children listen to at the school where your children attend?
      2. What are your children exposed to in the homes of your neighbors? Are we affected by what we hear or see?
      3. Why does business spend BILLIONS OF DOLLARS on advertising?
    4. At CCV, we believe that advertisers should know how you feel about their advertising dollars being used to support a station that promotes the likes of Jerry Springer.
    5. We cannot forget that the airwaves used by television and radio broadcasters, legally belong to the public.
    6. Not only should broadcasters be held accountable, but advertisers who knowingly support indecent broadcasting should also be held responsible.
      1. "Knowingly" is the key word. If you decide to call advertisers, please be courteous and explain why you would prefer that they spend their advertising dollars elsewhere.
      2. they continue advertising on offensive shows after being informed, then it would appear they are "knowingly" supporting sleaze broadcasting. Only then would CCV encourage you to support the advertisers' competitor who does not spend their money on sleaze broadcasting.
      Legal Action:
      1. Record and Document the offensive and indecent programming.
      2. Transcribe exact examples of the offensive and indecent programming.
      3. Click here to file a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission
      Citizen Action:
      1. List those businesses who spend their advertising dollars on indecent and offensive programming to HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE!
      2. Write letters to these same advertisers, quoting concise excerpts from the indecent and offensive program that their product or service is being associated with. Ask them to change their policy of advertising with stations that promote indecent and offensive programming and to support family friendly programming.
      3. Circulate Petitions throughout your neighborhood, at church, at work and throughout your community to demonstrate public support for broadcast decency. Send CCV a copy of the tape, transcript and list of advertisers to combine with other concerned individuals' efforts to hold the stations and advertisers accountable for their actions.
      4. Without approval and financial support of the companies which sponsor the sex, violence and profanity, the programs could not exist! Their bottom line is - MONEY!