Lawmakers Push for Airwave Cleanup
By JONATHAN D. SALANT, AP
     WASHINGTON (Jan. 28) -- Republicans and Democrats took turns Wednesday 
criticizing federal regulators who they say haven't done nearly enough to 
shield the public from indecent programming on radio and TV.
     The lawmakers supported sharply increasing the fines which the Federal 
Communications Commission can level against broadcasters who air such shows.
     Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., and chairman of the House telecommunications 
subcommittee that held a hearing on indecency, criticized what he called a 
''race to the bottom'' among broadcasters.
     ''As a parent with two young children, I believe American families 
should be able to rely on the fact that - at times when their children are likely 
to be tuning in - broadcast television and radio programming will be free of 
indecency, obscenity and profanity,'' Upton said.
     The hearing was held a day after the FCC proposed a record $755,000 fine 
against Clear Channel Communications for the ''Bubba the Love Sponge'' 
program aired on four of its Florida radio stations.
        
        
· The Mouth: Howard Stern
· The Act: A record fine in 1995 covered over 100 indecency claims aimed at 
the "King of All Media."
· The Fine: $1.7M   

    
· The Mouth: Bono
· The Act: At the 2003 Golden Globes, U2's lead singer exclaimed, "this is 
really, really, f------ brilliant."
· The Fine: Still waiting   

    
· The Mouth: Opie and Anthony
· The Act: In a 2002 segment on their radio show, a couple was reportedly 
having sex in New York City's St. Patrick's Cathedral.
· The Fine: $357,000 Sources: AP, CNN, E! Online
     The top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, John 
Dingell of Michigan, wondered if the congressional hearing spurred the FCC to act to 
strongly.
     ''I hope it signals a heightened seriousness on the part of the agency, 
and I will be watching closely to see that the FCC does not backtrack on its 
newfound aggressiveness on this issue,'' Dingell said.
     House members of both parties have sponsored legislation to increase the 
maximum fine for indecency from $27,500 to $275,000. The Senate Commerce 
Committee already has approved such an increase, and the Bush administration 
endorsed the House bill Wednesday in a letter by Commerce Secretary Don Evans.
     FCC Chairman Michael Powell has called for the higher fines. Other 
commissioners have urged that stations be penalized for each individual incident 
rather than pay one fine per program. Commissioner Michael Copps has asked his 
colleagues to revoke broadcast licenses.
     David Solomon, chief of the FCC's enforcement bureau, told lawmakers 
that the commission has stepped up its enforcement of indecency rules. It has 
proposed fining broadcasters $1.4 million in the last three years, compared to 
$850,000 in the preceding seven years.
     ''The commission is fully committed to vigorous enforcement of the 
broadcast indecency restrictions in order to protect the interests of America's 
children,'' Solomon said.
     L. Brent Bozell III, president of the Parents Television Council, a 
conservative advocacy group, told the House panel that the FCC was not doing its 
job.
     For example, the FCC had never fined a television station in the 50 
states for indecency until Tuesday, when the agency proposed a $27,500 penalty 
against the owner of the KRON TV station in San Francisco on Tuesday for briefly 
airing a man exposing himself.
       ''Looking at the FCC's track record on indecency enforcement, it 
becomes painfully apparent that the FCC could care less about community standards 
of decency or about protecting the innocence of young children,'' Bozell said.
     William Wertz, who owns four radio stations in Kalamazoo, Mich., said 
part of the problem is that broadcasters are no longer governed by a code of 
ethics. The Reagan administration forced the National Association of Broadcasters 
to drop the code on antitrust grounds in 1982.
       ''We're very concerned that we've witnessed a steady decline of 
over-the-air decency standards,'' Wertz said, criticizing some of his competitors' 
programming.
     Clear Channel has called for an industry task force to develop indecency 
standards for radio, television, cable and satellite networks.
     ''We work hard every day to entertain, not offend our listeners,'' said 
John Hogan, head of Clear Channel Radio. ''None of us defend or encourage 
indecent content. It's simply not part of our corporate culture.''
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