<
>
Download

Aufsatz
Kommunikation / Medien

Olympic College Bremerton

2011, Micheal Prince

Pascal D. ©
3.50

0.05 Mb
sternsternsternsternstern_0.2
ID# 45924







Essay


FCC - Federal Communications Commission

What is the FCC and why it is important?


        The FCC stands for Federal Communications Commission; it is an independent United States agency that regulates communications over the wire, television, satellite, radio, and cable (1Federal Communication Commission). The FCC is composed of five elites that hold their position for five years and are appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the Senate (1Federal Communication Commission).

I mentioned that Federal Communication Commissioners are elites, because I wanted to point out that mass media supervisions for the entire Country is virtually in the hands of only five men, of our nation. The elites are successful citizens and they make the decisions in our society and that is why they are the ones given the jobs to.

As this may sound strange, it is part of elite theory and elite theory is a realistic look on our government system in relation to the masses and the elites.

To continue the requirements, no more than four commissioners of the five can be part of the same political party and the commissioners must be United States citizens but cannot be financially interested or engaged with radio or the wire.

The FCC was established by the Communications Act of 1934, to “enforce the provisions” of the Communications Act of 1934, by “regulating interstate and foreign commerce in communication by wire and radio” (73rd Congress). More specifically the FCC is able to forbid “the use of "any obscene, indecent, or profane language by means of radio communications.”” The FCC is also able to issue fines for those that break these regulations that are casted onto the wire or radio (73rd Congress).

 Also on a side note, the FCC is allowed to inspect any equipment used in broadcasting, and they also deal with the licensing to broadcast over the public air. Also the FCC only takes action to any obscenity, indecent or profanity if there is a reported compliant.

Then the FCC reviews the broadcast to see if there is substantial evidence of obscenity, indecency, and or profanity. Then if there is enough evidence, then the FCC—the five personnel—determine if the complained- material was obscene, indecent or profane, and if they do come to a conclusion that suspects that someone broke the law, then they fine the unlawful station or program (3Federal Communications Commission).

One FCC case in particular that needs to be recognized is Pacifica v. FCC. In the case, a man with his young son in the car riding in the afternoon turned his station to Pacifica radio as George Carlin’s Filthy Words was being broadcasted (Supreme Court).

George Carlin was a comedian up to his death in 2008 and he is famous for performing stand-up (Carlin, Tony Hendra).  He had a bit called Filthy Words, “which listed and repeated a variety of colloquial uses of "words you couldn't say on the public airwaves”” (2Federal Communications Commission).  On this broadcast, his monologue included phrases  such as “Oh, fuck you man.

I said, fuck you. Stupid fuck. Fuck you and everybody that looks like you.” and “Shit or get off the pot. I got a shit-load full of them. I got a shit-pot full, all right. Shit-head, shit-heel, shit in your heart, shit for brains, shit-face.”Most importantly Carlin goes on explaining “the original seven words” that are not allowed on public airwaves: “shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cocksucker, motherfucker, and tits.” (2Federal Communications Commission).

So as you can tell Carlin uses some vulgar—referring to lack of manners and delicacy, unrefined( Collins English Dictionary)—word choices in his stand up bit. One question that I thought at first is, is it right for our government to monitor what we is say over the wire—that belongs to us Americans (1Federal Communication Commission)? I also find it ironic that Carlin’s stand-up about words that the FCC does not allow to be on the airwaves, was broadcasted over said airwaves.

        What happens next is the man in the car that was with his child, went to go the FCC to file a complaint about Pacifica’s broadcast of George Carlin’s monologue. The FCC, held Pacifica station liable and that

Meaning that future cases that are similar to this case would be viewed in the same manner the FCC would consistently pursue any obscene or indent language in their jurisdiction—which is in all fifty states of America, on the wire, television, and radio.

In addition “The FCC found a power to regulate indecent broadcasting, inter alia, in 18 U.S.C. 1464 (1976 ed.), which forbids the use of "any obscene, indecent, or profane language by means of radio communications” (Supreme Court). So the Court had to determine if the broadcast of the Pacifica Foundation was “indecent”, or not.

The FCC distinguished content of Carlin’s monologue as "patently offensive" and should be regulated similar to the law of nuisance where the "law generally speaks to channeling behavior rather than actually prohibiting it." The FCC also recognized the time of day, to which young children are generally present and determined the language in broadcast as “indecent and prohibited” (Supreme Court).

The final ruling of this case was in favor the FCC, because Pacifica’s programming of “Filthy Words” was concluded as profane due to the time [afternoon] that it was on the air (Supreme Court).

        This led to the fact to the FCC organized time bands on television, radio, and the wire, to where there can be specific times that certain programming cannot be aired. The Courts have recognized that indecent material is protected by the First Amendment, but the government has the ability to put restrictions on the times of broadcasting, in risk of children in the audience.

During the day, kid friendly shows are broadcasted and into the evening television shows become more adult content and at night when most of the kids are asleep, late night movies and hosts can have no more restrictions on television programming. The FCC has made it clear that any station or channel that airs content that is prohibited, they will get fined.

        The FCC has made the time bands during the times specifically from 6 A.M. to 10 P.M. This is the time zone where profane speech is prohibited (3Federal Communications Commission) and the FCC only allows swearing after 10 P.M. on late night television programs (3Federal Communications Commission).

The FCC regulates the radio and television along with other sources of public air for any cursing or any other language that could be offensive to anyone in the public. As long as there is a complaint then the FCC can pursue on to determine if the material was, or was not offensive.

        Another case that came up dealing with the FCC, is the 2004 Super bowl with Janet Jackson and her “wardrobe malfunction”. The FCC fined the channel for not blurring what they could have with their technology, but another point of view of the fine was the time frame that it took place.

But because it was in the late afternoon and still in this—lack off a better term—safe zone, the FCC  prohibits that sort of public behavior and CBS the program hosting that year got a $550,000 fine( Hoar, Jennifer).

         The Pacifica Foundation v. Federal Communication Commission is a perfect example of how cases like this, makes significant changes in our mass media that we relieve now. Our entertainment is now scheduled by the rating of appropriateness to children correlated to the time of day. “After school specials” became a coined phrase referring to television programs that children came after school, to watch. “Late night television” is where adults are able to curse and swear as they please past 11p.m. along with more risqué programs.


| | | | |
Tausche dein Hausarbeiten