House Passes Legislation to Increase Fines for Broadcast Indecency Bill would regulate public airwaves by raising maximum fine to $500,000
House Passes Legislation to Increase Fines for Broadcast Indecency Bill would regulate public airwaves by raising maximum fine to $500,000
WASHINGTON (February 16, 2005) Today Congressman Chandler joined his colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to pass H.R. 310 the Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2005. This legislation would enhance the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) regulatory authority by increasing the maximum fine to $500,000 for indecent content broadcast between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.
"Too many broadcasters are willing to push the limits for an extra dollar these days," said Congressman Chandler. "As a father of three young children, I worry about what my children might see when they sit down to watch television or listen to the radio at night. Something is wrong with our society when parents are forced to patrol the content on basic cable television."
Currently the FCC can impose a $32,000 fine for an indecency violation during the prime hours when children are most likely to be in the audience. The Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act would raise that maximum fine to $500,000 and require the FCC to hold a license revocation hearing for any broadcaster found liable of three indecency violations. Although the FCC can call a hearing at any time under existing law, this legislation would ensure that a hearing is held after three offenses.
"Many of our local broadcasters do act responsibly and follow our basic laws of decency," continued Chandler. "This bill will just make sure that those few broadcasters who don't receive proper punishment."
H.R. 310 is similar to legislation considered by both chambers during the 108th Congress. Although the U.S. House of Representatives passed this legislation with Congressman Chandler's support in March 2004, the U.S. Senate failed to reach an agreement.
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