It seems that, once again, the First Amendment has run head-long into the War on (so-called) Indecency.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) — President Bush Thursday signed into law legislation that raises fines tenfold on radio and television broadcasters that violate U.S. decency standards by airing extensive profanity or sexual content.
The new law, which boosts fines to as much as $325,000 per violation from $32,500, could help congressional Republicans woo conservatives in a tough election year as they have faced ebbing support from key core constituencies.
The Christian Coalition had placed legislation to increase the fines as the No. 5 item on its 2006 legislative agenda. The new law also caps any continuing violations from an incident at $3 million
Well, if the Christian Coalition likes it, that must make it a bad idea. If you don’t like what you hear on the radio and see on television, change the freaking channel. Don’t come running to the government complaining.
Of course, we know what set this latest round of outcries over so-called indecency off: (link NSFW)
The drive for the higher fines came when pop singer Justin Timberlake ripped off part of duet partner Janet Jackson’s costume and briefly exposed her breast during the 2004 Super Bowl football halftime entertainment show aired on national television.
I’ll admit that I’ve never quite figured out the outrage over that incident. First, there’s no evidence that CBS, MTV, or anyone affiliated with the broadcast had any idea that the incident was going to happen. So where’s the justice in fining them. Second, its a breast people, women have had them for a few million years now, get over it.
