U.S. bishops back FCC bid to make stations tape their shows

Published: 2004-08-30

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- A representative of the U.S. bishops said the bishops back a Federal Communications Commission proposal to compel radio and TV stations to keep tapes of what they've broadcast in case citizens make complaints against them for airing indecent material. "The current procedure for indecency complaints, which puts the initial burden on listeners and viewers to obtain a transcript from the broadcaster of the program at issue but does not require the broadcaster to provide it when requested by the listener or viewer, inhibits the appropriate enforcement of indecency rules," said Katherine Grincewich, assistant general counsel to the U.S. bishops, in testimony delivered Aug. 27. "Absent a transcript or tape, the (Federal Communications) Commission is forced to make its initial decision based on a listener's or viewer's memory alone, a situation unfair to the complainant, the broadcaster and the commission," Grincewich added. "The fleeting nature of indecent broadcast programs -- and the need for the proposed new program archives -- has, of course, been known from the incipiency of the commission's regulation of indecent broadcasts," she said.

Copyright (c) 2004 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .