From All Access -

Show Gets Affiliates Fined
The FCC has returned to fining broadcasters for alleged indecency, this time slapping several ABC TV affiliates in the Central and Mountain time zones with proposed fines totaling $1.43 million for a 2003 episode of "NYPD BLUE" in which a woman's nude backside and side are briefly glimpsed.

52 stations were assessed a $27,500 fine each for the show; stations in the Eastern and Western time zones escaped the fines because they aired the show after 10p local time.

In a statement issued after the fine was announced, the network said that it "feels strongly that the FCC's finding is inconsistent with prior precedent from the Commission." But Commissioner DEBORAH TAYLOR TATE said, "Our action today should serve as a reminder to all broadcasters that Congress and American families continue to be concerned about protecting children from harmful material and that the FCC will enforce the laws of the land vigilantly. In fact, pursuant to the Broadcast Decency Act of 2005, Congress increased the maximum authorized fines ten-fold. The law is simple. If a broadcaster makes the decision to show indecent programming, it must air between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. This is neither difficult to understand nor burdensome to implement."



---How is a woman's backside harmful to children? Does anyone remember what we came out of???

I for one didnt come out of any woman's "backside". I assume I was issued more from the front side. Eventhough there have been a few times I have been called 'otherwise'.

So, if I read this right, if the networks ever decide to run all indecent shows after 10PM, the central time zone is going to have to find another source of programming.

They should have been firing guns at the same time the nudity was being shown, this way the FCC would have approved the scene.

> So, if I read this right, if the networks ever
> decide to run all indecent shows after 10PM, the
> central time zone is going to have to find another
> source of programming.

They could do that or they could tape delay the programs. Seeing this thread prompted me to look for information on the "safe harbor" laws, which yielded the following list of similar laws in various countries:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watershed_%28television%29

Personally, I don't think a "backside" is that bad.

BUT (no pun intended), I remember seeing an interview with Stephen Bochco when NYPD Blue first aired and everybody was up in arms about the content.

He stated that he was going to "Push The Envelope". I think he is the one that should be fined.

As someone most would consider rather conservative, I have no problem with nudity or sex on tv. If you don't want the kids to watch it, theres an off button and a channel selector.

You can just turn it off, and tell the kids to go study their manual on cleaning an AR 15.

Read the official FCC Complaint here:

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-08-25A1.pdf

It is scary stuff.

In the interests of research only, please only look at the photos after 10pm with no children present:

http://www.celebrityvideo.ru/screenshot/r/Ross_Charlotte_NYPD_Blue_640_480.jpg

I came across Jim Spagg on cable access when I was 15. Should the cable company and the cable access station have been fined?

It said the body part shown was an "excretory body part".
So, it wasn't for sex, but for pooping?
Hmm, me thinks someone didn't pay the right guys off here somewhere.

This is what you get when religious nuts are in charge.

Looking through the list of stations fined, I noted that one of them was KVUE, the Austin, TX affiliate. Having lived in Austin, I am a little surprised. Apparently, the FCC's interpretation of Austin's community standards is a bit different than the impression that I got from living there.

I understand public access goes by a somewhat different set of rules.

This occurred five years ago? And they're JUST NOW getting around to it???

Guess that logjam of paperwork was bigger than everyone thought...

NF, cable based tv isn't regulated by the FCC.

I was aware of that. It was just a rhetorical question.

Seeing this stuff in prime time in other countries is normal. Besides, you see much more than that on cable earlier in the evening and if most people have cable, then they could just as easily have been offended by that.

Those images didn't bother me.

Strange society and it's values that we live in over here.

"I was aware of that. It was just a rhetorical question."

I think the Conservatives are fuming that they've been unable to extend their restrictive ideology to cable this far.

> Strange society and it's values that we live in over here.

I think that the values in this case are financial. The FCC can make money by collecting millions of dollars in fines from broadcasters because in this age of consolidation, broadcasters have deep pockets. On the other hand, if you have a shortwave radio that can receive single sideband, try going over to 3740 kHz some evening. Then listen to how many F-bombs Steve Wingate, K6TXH, drops on the air, and how many times he and other people try to jam the frequency with unmodulated carriers, music, screaming, and noise. Despite numerous complaints, the FCC has done very little with Steve other than to give him a slap on the wrist every now and then. The FCC knows that it can't squeeze tens of thousands of dollars out of some drunken loser like Steve.

Actuall cable is regulated by the FCC, but they have a different set of standards for it.

The images in question weren't offensive to me.

Seeing Andy Sipowicz's naked backside...now that's a different issue.

They're bunch of party poopers.

The FCC is reacting to what the bible thumpers want. THEY are the party poopers.

You mean that Bible Thumper Mrs. Al "global warming" Gore?
She is the one who started a lot of this.
Oh wait, she's a lib and democrat.
Must not have been her, they are free speechers.
That's right she just wanted stickers on records to keep little johnny from hearing dirty words.
Guess that's different.
Crazy bible thumpers!!

Tipper GORE is a BIBLE THUMPER!
And she and her EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN EXTREME RIGHTIES love to push their social high standard FAMILY VALUES on EVERYONE!
This sucks!
If I'm ABC I'm showing that episode again today at NOON!

What is a Bible Thumper anyway? I have never met one. Do they thump it with their hand? Thumb? Fingers only? Feet? On a desk? On a table?
When they thump, does it make a sound?
If they drop it, will it thump back up?
Does it go thump in the night?
Is it Under my Thump?
I DEMAND TO SEE A THUMPER!! Is it similar to a JUMPER?
Are only "Evangelical Christian Extreme Righties" thumpers? Can a Catholic be a thumper?
How about a Jew?
Can a leftie who used to throw righty, but now is caught somewhere in between and needs icepacks, be a thumper?
Was the rabbit in Bambi a Thumper?
Trixters are for kids, silly rabbit!

Oh man. I got nailed for this once:

A bible thumper is somebody who values getting the word out and control more than they do their own rights and responsibilities as citizens here.

That's about the nicest way to put it.

A bible thumper can be any religion, not just some specific one that happens to piss off the person, who then goes and says, "bible thumper".

Growing up, I knew a full on real life bible thumper. He thumped it hard during the fire and brimstone sermon! Also would thump it during one on one advocacy times.

Pretty scary thing to see as a kid, if you ask me.

I don't use the term much, after getting hammered here for it. (sorry guys!) But there are actual bible thumpers running around and they are actually annoying to a fair number of people, both of faith and not.

Bible Thumper:
A person who injects their personal beliefs upon everyone and allows for NO OTHER belief to be believed.
MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY!
It's a sickness!

It goes hand & hand with the ME, ME World of today.
There's a word for it all: Narcissism.

Perhaps even "narcissism."

I'm not even gonna say take it to the other side, rather...
"Take it OUTSIDE!"

"Bible Thumper:
A person who injects their personal beliefs upon everyone and allows for NO OTHER belief to be believed.
MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY!
It's a sickness!"

Ok, now that I have a working definition we can examine this better and bring it back to radio.
That means Rush is a Bible Thumper.
Lars is a Bible Thumper.
Laura Ingraham is a Bible Thumper.
Randi Rhodes is a Bible thumper.
Howard Stern is a bible thumper.
Opie and Anthony are Bible thumpers.
Heck, after hearing that famous temper tantrum cut, Casey Kasem is a bible thumper.
Every person who cracks a mic and thinks they are smarter than their listeners is a bible thumper.

Now, over 500,000 letters were submitted to the FCC over this NYPD Blue issue. That's a whole lot of Bible Thumpers who got together.

Over 100,000 bible thumpers got together and overturned the people of Oregon and got ONE bible thumper judge to overturn the "civil union" bill.

1,500 Bible Thumpers descended on the Capitol Steps yesterday trying to say their way was better even though they were mostly illegal immigrants. They outshouted the 75 Bible thumpers who are looking for an initiative to be passed by the legislature bible thumpers to limit the ability for illegals to get a drivers license.

So, perspective is how you look at things.
I would rather that crap not be shown on TV. Yes, that old argument, "if you don't like it, turn the dial" doesn't work. How about, "you should have to BUY that kind of programming if you want to see it". Why should I have to see something that I find objectionable? That is why we have satellite radio and tv. The people spoke, Howard is no longer on radio, you have to buy him if you want him.
See, neatly tied all into radio.
So, Bible Thumpers are pretty much everywhere, and when grouped in large masses they get things done. So I suggest, trixter, you become a Bible Thumper and find a bigger group of Bible Thumpers and you might get something done you want done!

Dodger..
There's a LOT of BTer's out there!!!!

"A bible thumper is somebody who values getting the word out and control more than they do their own rights and responsibilities as citizens here.
"
"Bible Thumper:
A person who injects their personal beliefs upon everyone and allows for NO OTHER belief to be believed.
MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY!
It's a sickness!"

Like the Global Warming religious zealots. Read about their big do last week in the newspaper. No room for balanced discussions.....

Yep there is a lot of BTer's out there.
That is why I hate it when "evangelicals" are called out as if they are the only "bible thumpers" around.
EVERYONE has some kind of bible. EVERYONE likes to thump theirs. In the case of NYPD Blue, one group thumped harder.
That is all I am trying to say.