Chuck0
-------- Original Message -------- Subject: [MRN] Senate votes 99-1 to hike broadcast indecency fines; rolls back FCC 6/2 rules Date: Wed, 23 Jun 2004 12:26:12 -0400 From: Alan Freed <alan at beatworld.com> Reply-To: microradio at lists.riseup.net To: microradio at lists.riseup.net, amherst_members at yahoogroups.com
insideradio.com 6/22/04:
99 to 1 -- that was the Senate vote today to hike broadcast indecency fines.
Only Louisiana Democrat John Breaux -- who's not up for re-election -- said "no", as the Senate overwhelmingly votes to raise indecency fines to $275,000 by pasting the Sam Brownback amendment onto a big defense appropriations bill. The Senate also votes for other amendments that will be more controversial: to stymie the FCC's June 2 ownership rules, and to regulate violent content on TV. The House passed a different version of the indecency bill -- so there's going to be negotiation ahead.
http://radioandrecords.com/Newsroom/2004_06_22/topstory.asp
6/22/04:
Indecency, Ownership Legislation Moves Forward In Senate
The Senate this morning approved by a vote of 99-1 an amendment sponsored by Sen. Sam Brownback that will increase to $275,000 the maximum fine the FCC can levy for an individual violation of its broadcast indecency rules, with a per-day limit of $3 million. Sen. Byron Dorgan's amendment to invalidate the FCC's June 2003 media-ownership rules was also approved, but Dorgan has abandoned his effort to mandate a federal study on the effects of consolidation in the broadcasting industry. An amendment sponsored by Sen. Ernest Hollings that aims to curb violence on TV was also approved, along with a measure sponsored by Sen. Conrad Burns directing the FCC to consider any mitigating circumstances in indecency cases - for example, whether a station owner carrying network programming had any input into the material that drew the fine. Brownback earlier this year introduced a standalone bill to increase FCC fine, but that bill stalled, so he last week decided to introduce the amendment to the massive defense-spending bill the Senate is currently considering. The next step is to get the Senate's approval of the entire spending bill, which will then go to a joint House and Senate conference committee for final consideration and on to the White House for the president's signature. A representative for Dorgan spokesman tells R&R, referring to the media-ownership rules, "This is just another in a series of very serious actions the Senate has taken to undo what the FCC did last June."
23, 2004 http://radioandrecords.com/Newsroom/2004_06_22/byrondorgan.asp
Tuesday, June 22, 2004
Byron Dorgan Praises Senate Action
The Senator reacted to the news that his colleagues approved his measure to revoke the media ownership rules the FCC adopted in June 2003 by saying that, at the time, "The FCC performed one of the most complete cave-ins to corporate interests against the public interest in the history of the country. The Senate, to its credit, has taken a series of strong, bipartisan actions to roll back the FCC rules. Today the Senate expressed itself again, in the strongest possible terms, saying that it wants the FCC's cave-in reversed and wants it reversed now." A Dorgan spokesman told R&R, "This is just another in a series of very serious actions the Senate has taken to undo what the FCC did last June." Dorgan's measure was a rider tacked onto Sen. Sam Brownback's legislation that seeks to dramatically increase the FCC's broadcast indecency fine amounts, which itself was an amendment to a defense spending bill that the Senate will continue to debate this week.
http://radioandrecords.com/Newsroom/2004_06_22/aftragives.asp Tuesday, June 22, 2004
AFTRA Gives Thumbs Up To Senate Amendment OKs
The union that represents performers, announcers, broadcasters and recording artists lauded the Broadcast Indecency Amendment passed by the Senate today as part of the Department of Defense authorization bill for its noninclusion of fine increases for individuals. "While legitimate concerns still exist about the possible chilling effect that large broadcaster fines may place upon free speech over the airwaves, we are gratified and relieved that the legislation avoids the pitfall of fining individual performers, announcers, broadcasters and sound recording artists," AFTRA Asst. National Exec. Director/Public Policy and Strategic Planning Rebecca Rhine said. The amendment now moves to conference committee with the House DOD bill.
http://radioandrecords.com/Newsroom/2004_06_23/nabreacts.asp3, 2004
Wednesday, June 23, 2004
NAB Reacts To Senate Action
NAB President/CEO Eddie Fritts yesterday commented on the Senate's 99-1 approval of an amendment that would increase the maximum fine the FCC can levy for an individual violation of its broadcast indecency rules to $275,000 by saying his organization "does not support the amendment passed" by the Senate. The proposed legislation sets a per-day limit of $3 million. "We continue to believe that voluntary industry initiatives taken by a number of broadcasters thus far are far preferable to government regulation when dealing with programming issues," Fritts said. "We also believe that most Americans would acknowledge that broadcast programming is considerably less explicit in terms of violence and sexual content than that which is routinely found on cable and satellite channels."