Broadcast Decency Bill Passes the Senate!     5/19/2006
By Amelia Wigton

     After months of hard work from citizen lobbyists, coalition leaders and thousands of concerned citizens around the country, the Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2005 (S. 193) passed by unanimous consent in the Senate during the evening session of May 18.

     "For concerned citizens who have ever called their representative in Congress and felt that their voice was not being heard, the passage of S. 193 truly validates their efforts. Individual citizens who call to express support for legislation that they care about do make a huge difference," said Lanier Swann, Concerned Women for America's (CWA) Director of Government Relations.

     Swann also said on the passage of S. 193 that, "This is a pivotal victory for families around the country, and we are thrilled! Broadcasters operate in the public square, and the public pushed for the passage of this bill to say that there are decency standards that must be adhered to."

     "We sincerely thank Senators Frist (R-Tennessee), Brownback (R-Kansas), Reid (D-Nevada), Stevens (R-Alaska), Inouye (D-Hawaii) and members of the Senate Commerce Committee for listening to the calls of the American people and working to pass this bi-partisan bill," said Swann.

     The legislation raises fines from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for broadcast decency violators from the current slap-on-the-wrist of $32,500 to a painful $325,000, which will hopefully make programmers think twice before airing offensive material that is out of step with standards considered appropriate for the public square.

     Senator Sam Brownback introduced the bill last January and said of its passage that, "I am glad the Senate took action and increased fines for broadcasters who show indecent material. Radio and television waves are public property, and the companies who profit from using the public airwaves should face meaningful fines for broadcasting indecent material."

     "I urge the House to take action on increasing indecency fines so we can send a bill to the White House," Brownback said. "It's time that broadcast indecency fines represent a real economic penalty and not just a slap on the wrist."

     CWA is thankful to all who participated to pass this important piece of legislation. This is a victory for the American people who stood up against offensive content on broadcast television that included not only Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction," but also orgies, graphic violence and other material of the most debased and lowest forms of human behavior.

     "Now, the FCC has real power to step in and impede the broadcasters' race to the bottom," concluded Swann. "The American people have taken back their public airwaves through the passage of S. 193, and we applaud them for that."

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