RHEADAR

This past week the US Appeals Court ruled that the FCC guidelines regarding indecency on television and radio are to vague to be enforced and while this sounds like great news, I am not sure that it is as good as it sounds.

WHY?

My first reaction to the news that the FCC had been knocked down a peg or two was pure jubilation but you have to remember this is just one ruling that could be struck down at anytime and will no doubt be fought for years to come.

In the meantime though, Networks theoretically can do what they want now. It is no secret that niche cable channels have been slowly siphoning away viewership and that they have been able to venture into territory that has always been to risque for network television. It is no secret that Network Television is home to countless carbon copies of procedural and very few unique ideas. Perhaps this  lifted ban will allow the creativity to flow freely and start show that are in the same vein as critically acclaimed hits such as Breaking Bad, The Sopranos, and dare I even say that CBS could even give Dexter a unedited second run?

Unfortunately this will never happen, as much as I would like it to, the sad depressing fact is that it will not.

The reason behind this you ask? It is the same reason that non premium Cable channels censor profanity and carefully hide nudity behind shadows and innocuous objects. It is the same reason that network television after 10 pm is just as bland as it is at 8 and 9 pm. While the FCC does not regulate these regions of television at all or to a lesser degree the suits at these outlets self censor so that they do not alienate the so-called middle America.

This is not an attack on people who do not wish to be subjected to risque behavior, I respect that you wish to live in a world free of the temptations and lifestyle that is promoted in the type of television shows I like to watch, but at the same point I can honestly say that I do not like that this specific lifestyle choice is being forced upon me when I turn on the television. Organizations such as the FCC and the Parents Television Council  dictate what is acceptable viewing and what is not and force it on people whether they agree or not. This is a Blatant Violation of the First Amendment. If you do not like what is on the Television change the channel, take responsibility for what you and your children choose to watch.

I hope that something good comes from the FCC debacle that is currently ongoing. I really do hope that a happy medium can be reached regarding decency on television, but until then I am content to rely on cable television for a majority of the good television.

-George