[IP] FCC wants to regulate "violence" on broadcast and basic cable TV

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren@vortex.com>
Date: April 24, 2007 1:35:35 AM EDT
To: dave@farber.net
Cc: lauren@vortex.com
Subject: FCC wants to regulate "violence" on broadcast and basic  
cable TV


Dave,

Here we go.  The FCC is about to release a report to Congress
suggesting that lawmakers enact legislation controlling "violent
content" -- not only on broadcast television but apparently on
"basic cable" channels as well.

See: http://tinyurl.com/267ea5 (Washington Post article)

The legal battles that would certainly result will be breathtaking,
and it seems rather likely that calls to extend such regulations to
the Internet will follow.  If you think that defining obscenity is
tough, just wait until we see people of all stripes arguing about
the relative violence of a stick of TNT blowing Daffy Duck's bill
around his head.

That's Not All, Folks!  More after the report is released.

--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
lauren@vortex.com or lauren@pfir.org
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
http://www.pfir.org/lauren
Co-Founder, PFIR
   - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
Co-Founder, IOIC
   - International Open Internet Coalition - http://www.ioic.net
Founder, CIFIP
   - California Initiative For Internet Privacy - http://www.cifip.org
Founder, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
DayThink: http://daythink.vortex.com



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