LOS ANGELES (September 18, 2007) – The Parents Television Council™ praised the leadership of U.S. Reps. Charles Pickering (R-Miss.), Joseph Pitts (R-Pa.), Jim Matheson (D-Utah) and Mike McIntyre (D-N.C.) to protect children from instances of indecent content on broadcast television.  Congressman Pickering introduced legislation (H.R. 3559) similar to Sen. Jay Rockefeller’s (D-WV) that affirms the FCC’s ability to restrict the use of profanity and indecent images during times of day when children are most likely to be in the viewing audience.  Congressmen Pitts, Matheson and McIntyre are original co-sponsors of the legislation.

“We applaud Rep. Pickering’s efforts, as well as those of Reps. Pitts, Matheson and McIntyre, who understand that the public’s airwaves are frequently being used in a manner that harms children.  Parents and families are besieged in their own homes by an industry whose behavior is in clear contradiction to their words.  No matter what the industry claims, if it had no intention of broadcasting the ‘F-word’ or ‘S-word’ during hours when children are watching, then it would not have sued – likely spending much more in legal fees than it would have faced in FCC fines – for the right to air these words and other indecent content,” said PTC President Tim Winter.

“I want to be clear: vulgar, profane language is, by its very nature, ‘fleeting.’  ‘Unscripted’ images that are highly sexual in nature may still meet the Supreme Court established criteria for broadcast indecency and are certainly highly inappropriate content for children.  The so-called ‘fleeting’ nature of this type of programming does not absolve broadcasters of their responsibility to protect children from indecent content during the times when kids are most likely to be in the audience.  Congress must act in the public interest immediately in order to ensure the public’s airwaves are a safe place for children,” Winter concluded.