"The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) and the First Amendment"

The NAB held its indecency summit, and announced its plan to form a task force of broadcasters who will 'self-police' television and radio content as well as consider devising a code of conduct. It will be called (and I just love this) the Task Force on Responsible Programming. NAB President/CEO Eddie Fritts said, "Broadcasters are committed to a plan of voluntary action to deal with the issue of responsible programming. Given the serious First Amendment concerns surrounding issues related to program content, it is our strong belief that voluntary industry initiatives are far preferable to government regulation." In other words it's OK for the broadcasters impinge on the first amendment, and that is somehow better then the government doing it. I don't think so.

When I first heard of this "Task Force" it took quite a while for the smoke to stop coming out of my ears. "Self police", "indecency", "code of conduct", "voluntary action" "preferable to government regulation" and of course "serious first amendment concerns", boy what a group of words coming from the mouths of Broadcasters who, in my opinion should be leading the battle to protect the first amendment, and not be complicit with the government in abridging it.

The BBC made an error and stood by their report concerning Weapons Of Mass Destruction. As things turned out the BBC did make a mistake, but they stood up and reported what they believed in, and did indeed take on the government of Great Britain. There resolve was great, but sadly they could not prove their allegations and "Heads rolled."

I would just love for a Radio or Television Broadcaster in the United States to have at least defended the first amendment by opposing the "indecency" fall out resulting from the Janet Jackson "event" Perhaps some have, but I have not seen it. "Stand up and be counted", and don't let the government or the "religious right" push you around. At least oppose what is going on before capitulating.

I would consider it preferable to let the Government try to write regulations that deal with the issues and then have the broadcasters fight the government in the courts The NAB itself sounds like the administration when they use words like "task force" Would it be wrong to surmise that whatever happened before the Super Bowl Half Time Show was ok, and now so much has been suddenly determined to be "obscene and indecent?" Because of that incident, broadcasters want to help the government" to imprison freedom of expression by creating the "content bars and prison" that the feds envision". I realize that there is a huge amount of money at stake in this matter in that the government has most, if not all of the power. The same could have been said of the BBC, but they (including Greg Dyke) the BBC head thought about an item called "Journalistic Integrity" and took a position in opposition to their government.

If the early reports are true, the new head of the BBC is to be Michael Grade. He too is the type of person who will not fold when pressured by his government. Has anyone seen Edward R Morrow around anywhere?

And by the way "Hail Britannia"

Norman Horowitz

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