03-15) 14:23 PST WASHINGTON, (AP) --


The government proposed a record fine of $3.6 million against dozens of CBS stations and affiliates Wednesday in a crackdown on what regulators called indecent television programming.


The Federal Communications Commission said a network program, "Without a Trace," that aired in December 2004 was indecent. It cited the graphic depiction of "teenage boys and girls participating in a sexual orgy."


The proposed fine was among decisions from the agency stemming from more than 300,000 complaints it received concerning nearly 50 TV shows broadcast between 2002 and 2005.


Rejecting an appeal by CBS, the FCC also upheld its previous $550,000 fine against 20 of the network's stations for the Janet Jackson "wardrobe malfunction" at the Super Bowl two years ago.


These were the first fines issued under FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, clearing a backlog of investigations into indecency complaints. The commission issued no fines last year.


"The number of complaints received by the commission has risen year after year," said the FCC's Martin. "I share the concerns of the public — and of parents, in particular — that are voiced in these complaints."


Responding to other complaints, the commission found that Fox Television Network violated decency standards during the 2003 Billboard Music Awards. During the broadcast, actress Nicole Richie uttered the "F" word and a common vulgarity for excrement.


"Each of these words is among the most offensive words in the English language," the FCC said. But it declined to issue a fine against Fox because at the time of the broadcast existing precedent indicated the commission would not take action against isolated use of expletives, the FCC said.


The commission also declined to fine Fox or its stations for the 2002 Billboard Music Awards, in which Cher uttered the "F" word.


Martin, a Republican, has long advocated a tough stand against indecency violators. Before becoming chairman last year, he complained in several cases that the agency should be fining broadcasters based on each offensive utterance, not each program. That way, the FCC could find several violations in a program.


Martin is also on record supporting legislation to increase the maximum fine an indecency violation could draw. The current maximum is $32,500 per incident, but some lawmakers have called for boosting the penalty to as high as $500,000.


There was overwhelming support for hiking fines in the months after the Jackson exposure two years ago, but legislation has fizzled in Congress.

Guess I should watching this show,

There was a teenage orgy on tv?

I quit watching this show, but I remember this episode. Really not a big deal.

According to who jackhole? Go diddle yourself and leave my TV alone.

The FCC needs to be laid to rest, nothing but a waste of money and air.

I believe the reason for this is the ease with which people can send a complaint via the Internet, and the rise of organizations like the PTC that have handy form letters so people who haven't even watched the shows can easily send a complaint when they're told to do so.

Sadly the price we pay for allowing ignoramuses the ability to use computers.

That's rediculous - that was actually a good episode, with a positive message about the dangers of unprotected sex, and the dangers of indifferent parenting. "graphic depiction of teenage boys and girls participating in a sexual orgy'...

I wish...

ummmmmm
:nopics:

This is what happens when you let conservatives run entertainment. Conservatives run the FCC, and they pay heed to complaints about a show even when 99% of the complaints filed are from one conservative organization that tells its sheeple to fill out a form to complain about a show that they've never seen.

FCC
PTC

i wish death on those 300,000 people.

Twelve posts and not one mention of Howard Stern yet? You know he must be loving every minute of this.

I'd wager that 95+% of them never even watched the show they complained about. They're members of the PTC or another organization, the organization tells them to send a complaint letter, and they do. The FCC, being the idiots that they are, buy it every time.

F the FCC and all those religious right-wing loonies...a show is "indecent"? Be a responsible parent and turn the damn TV off.

Exactly. The message was look after your kids and don't have unprotected sex. It didn't glamorize anything. I never thought "oh my god, I can't believe they are showing this!" This fine is beyond lame.

HAHAHAHHAHAHAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!!!!!!111one1

Suck it, Leslie!

F'ing Bullshit! The FCC just needs an excuse to get CBS to cough up some money to pay their over-paid staff. Bullshit like this is just going to limit writers and producers from being creative with future shows and projects. We need more shows with some balls like "The Shield" and "Nip/Tuck" on regular TV.

Ok ill mention stern for you then, this is the same old bullshit stern and janet jackson deal/dealt with, god damn one religious group on a emailing/writing campaign where all 300,000 complaints come from 3-4 people. Same ol bullshit, its just an excuse for the conservatives to control what you do...simple as that...

Where's the youtube link?

Why fine the affiliates? All they do is show what the network gives them, which is cleared by network censors. How many times did Dennis Franz show his ass on NYPD Blue? Didn't they say shit once on that show?

I can't wait until our generation is accurately represented in government, this is retarded. Bush is letting these right wing conservative groups push us back years on everything. There wouldn't be an FCC or Congress if every person's parents didn't get it on. We're all here because people had sex!! It's a natural part of life, and should not be hidden or something to be ashamed of.

This remindes me of a great crank call to the FCC done by one of the Bubba the love sponge guys. It was made after an FCC ruling that said Bono's use of "Fucking" as an adverb was not indecent because it wasn't used to describe a sexual act. So someone called the FCC to complain about the ruling, using the F word in a similiar manner in just about every sentence. Hearing the caller using the profanity to complain about the ruling was funny, but even better was how the spokesman for the FCC defended the ruling as not indecent and then warning the caller he would have to end the conversation if he continued using profanity.

If the FCC had there way, we would only be watching Sesame Street, Romper Room, 7th Heaven, and Reading Rainbow.

This bothers me. There is a concerted effort among conservative groups to mass assault govt agencies, network exec and advertisers. Again, we are made to believe that these decisions come from the concerns of individual parents and not campaigns.

Parents of the World ..... be a freaking parent. Turn the TV off at 10:00pm so the grownups can watch.

Then there is there recent talk of applying FCC regulations on indecency to cable tv.

I wish death on Janet Jackson. There was no "wardrobe malfunction," the stupid bitch planned this to draw attention to herself because she couldn't handle not being the #1 black female singer out there. It was her pathetic publicity stunt that brought all this upon us.

Dream on. I rememember saying the same thing 20, 30 years ago.