The World According to Nick
My take on Software, Technology, Politics, and anything else I feel like talking about.
Thursday, July 08, 2004

New FCC Requirements Unconstitutional 

I saw on Slashdot that the FCC is to Require Broadcasters to Retain Copies of Broadcasts for 60-90 Days.

Today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced (through a notice of proposed rulemaking) that it will likely be requiring all broadcasters to retain copies of their broadcasts for 60 - 90 days in order to better combat indecent broadcasts (In the Matter of: Retention by Broadcasters of Program Recordings):

In this Notice of Proposed Rulemaking ("NPRM"), we propose to require that broadcasters retain recordings of their programming for some limited period of time (e.g., 60 or 90 days) in order to increase the effectiveness of the Commission's process for enforcing restrictions on obscene, indecent, and profane broadcast programming.

Decency Nazgul and Commissioner Michael Copps was enthusiastic about the new requirements (Statement of Commissioner Michael J. Copps, Re: Retention by Broadcasters of Program Recordings, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking):

The process by which the FCC has enforced the indecency laws has for too long placed inordinate responsibility upon the complaining citizen. When someone sends in a complaint, he or she is usually told to supply a recording of the program or a transcript of the offending statement, or the complaint will be dismissed. This policy ignores that it is the Commission's responsibility to investigate complaints that the law has been violated, not the citizen's responsibility to prove the violations.

Of course I'm no legal expert, but doesn't this fly in the face of the 5th Amendment, and possibly the 4th? Because the networks are financially liable for their broadcasts (not the person who performed the illicit act who was the subject of the broadcast), the FCC is essentially requiring them to not only make and keep evidence that might incriminate them, but also make it available to the prosecuting authority so they can be found guilty at a later date. Am I missing something here?

Comments:

Post a Comment

About Me



Name: Nick
Home: Wauwatosa, WI, United States

I'm a Software Consultant in the Milwaukee area. Among various geeky pursuits, I'm also an amateur triathlete, and enjoy rock climbing. I also like to think I'm a political pundit.


 View My Profile

Archives
 Home Page

Subscribe to this Feed

Search Archives
Previous Posts
I Can't Stand Bill O'Reilly
Are Fireworks Illegal?
No Farewell Speech?
Now Here's a Twist
Le Tour
I Thought France Used the U.N.?
The Gift of Time
Take Your Own Advice Chirac
Flyswatter or Sledge Hammer?
Caving Into Threats In Cedarburg

Personal Links
Carnival of the Badger
The Coding Monkey
del.icio.us Links
Flickr Photos
Blog Critics Reviews





Blogroll Me!

music
books
video
culture
politics
sports
gaming

www.flickr.com
This is a Flickr badge showing public photos from Nick_Schweitzer. Make your own badge here.

Credits

Blogcritics: news and reviews







This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?

Weblog Commenting and Trackback by HaloScan.com

RSS-to-JavaScript.com

Listed on BlogShares

Design By maystar