Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2005
BROADCAST DECENCY ENFORCEMENT ACT OF 2005 -- (House of Representatives - February 16, 2005)
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I am a parent of a 5-year-old and I am a prude; so I guess I meet the gentleman from California's (Mr. Waxman) definition.
Willfully and intentionally, the use of public airwaves for indecent material or conduct, that is what we are addressing today. And I want to congratulate the committee, the gentleman from Texas (Chairman Barton); the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell), ranking member; the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey), ranking member; and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton), for their good work. It is not easy, because we hear the debate, but it is very important.
The outcry of the Nation has been finally heard. This was the number one issue that my office was contacted on in the whole last Congress. Nothing raised the ire of the people in my district more than the indecent use of the public airwaves, and finally we are doing something about it.
But I do not want to lull the public into a false sense of security, because this is addressing only one venue, the public airwaves, the people of the broadcast communities free over-the-air TV, which is now a minority of the use of how people receive TV shows in their home. By far most people receive it through cable, direct satellite, we are going to have cellular, it is over broadband. And do my colleagues know what this does to those venues? Nothing. Maybe it will exclude those broadcasters in their ability, but these other venues are still going to be held free, and I think that creates an unfair playing field, and I am concerned.
The local broadcasters in most of our districts do a fair and upright job. They understand the problem that the big broadcasters have imposed upon them. They are willing to accept these stringent standards and tighten their belts for the good of the public. But they are not going to be able to compete with billions of channels, with other types of broadcasters who are going to get away scot-free.
So I applaud the bill. I am excited about it. I lament the fact that it does not go far enough.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
http://thomas.loc.gov