quote:

TV: Government censorship of cable TV would be indecent By Vince Horiuchi Salt Lake Tribune Columnist Salt Lake Tribune For television addicts, it's a chilling thought. Imagine no more "Sopranos," "Deadwood," or "The Shield." No place on cable for the Peabody-winning "The Daily Show." No more sassy Cartman on "South Park." I don't mean doing away with these critically acclaimed, much-loved programs because they get canceled or because nobody's watching. I'm talking about doing away with them because the government steps in and says they are inappropriate for us to watch. It sounds absurd that in today's world, someone could dictate what we can and cannot watch on television -- not on free TV, where regulation is understandable, but on cable where we pay for the privilege of hearing a feisty Al Swerengen use colorful Western vocabulary on "Deadwood." But censorship of this type could become reality if some members of Congress and media watchdog groups such as the Parents Television Council (PTC) have their way. They want to regulate cable television the same way free over-the-air television is controlled. For more than a year, the PTC has been yammering about indecency on cable and satellite television, and Congress has been listening. Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, and Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, appeared at the recent National Association of Broadcasters annual conference and said they think government regulators should move in on cable and satellite. And they want to restrict not only basic cable but pay-cable services like HBO and Showtime, for which viewers pay a premium. "Cable is a greater violator in the indecency arena," Stevens said at the conference, according to The Hollywood Reporter. They argue that because cable is in more than 65 percent of American households and nearly as ubiquitous as free over-the-air television, "most viewers don't differentiate between over-the-air and cable." That may be true in terms of the way we group the whole television landscape, but I know I'm watching satellite TV every month I fork out $70 for the pleasure. That's what differentiates cable and free TV. We pay money for cable and satellite after making the conscious decision to welcome their programming into our homes. Anyone who doesn't know what they're getting with MTV, Comedy Central or HBO probably shouldn't subscribe to cable or satellite. For them, there's always PAX. Americans are divided on the issue of regulating cable, according to a recent study on television content by the Pew Research Center. Many respondents want bigger fines against broadcasters, and 60 percent said the same rules should apply to cable and regular broadcast TV. But 48 percent of respondents feel undue government restriction on television poses a greater danger than the TV industry producing harmful content. And a vast majority, 79 percent, believe inadequate parental supervision is at fault for children being exposed to raunchy television -- as opposed to inadequate laws. That's hardly the tidal wave of support for regulation that groups like the PTC would have you believe. Allowing government to restrict cable television is acknowledging that we shouldn't be allowed to make our own choices. In a day and age when we have to make every dollar count in the monthly budget, reserving a chunk for TV means we know what we want. We shouldn't have government regulators tell us otherwise. http://www.sltrib.com/tv/ci_2720550

i'll admit i picked up on this from The Daily Show. this is crazy, these, what do you call them, fundies, neocons, conservatives, assholes that are out to change my beloved country?! i like it the way it is, leave it alone! they're fricken into everything, when is it going to end, are they really going to succeed in the massive revamping of american culture sending us back to traditional beliefs and values they're apparently trying to do? i hope they ban south park! there will be riots!