70+ Groups to Senate: Question FCC Nominee on TV Decency
WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 17, 2013) – More than 70 group leaders signed a letter to members of the Senate Commerce Committee asking them to question FCC nominee Michael P. O’Rielly on TV decency enforcement at his nomination hearing this week. O’Rielly’s nomination hearing is set for Wednesday, September 18th.
“We ask that members of the Senate Commerce Committee to obtain O’Rielly’s commitment to vigorously enforce the federal decency law before sending him out of committee,” said Patrick A. Trueman, President of Morality in Media. “Federal law gives the American public the right to decency on broadcast TV and millions of Americans will soon begin pressing the FCC to have that right vindicated,” Trueman added.
The 70 groups are particularly concerned about the direction of the FCC after President Obama’s nominee to chair the commission, Tom Wheeler, refused to commit to decency enforcement during his hearing before the Commerce Committee recently. The federal decency law, 18 U.S.C. Section 1464, prohibits profanity and indecent material, including nudity, on broadcast TV between 6 AM and 10 PM.
Under the previous FCC Chairman, Julius Genachowski, there were no indecency enforcement actions. These groups are committed to press the Commission for decency enforcement once the full compliment of commissioners is in place.
