By DIBYA SARKAR, AP Business Writer

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080223/ap_ ... _fines_fcc


WASHINGTON - Regulators on Friday fined 13 Fox TV stations $7,000 each for a 2003 episode of "Married by America" that included graphic scenes from bachelor and bachelorette parties.

The Federal Communications Commission had initially proposed a $1.2 million fine against 169 affiliates of Fox Broadcasting Co., a division of News Corp., that aired the since-canceled reality show. But, under a new policy, the agency said it would only fine stations in markets where viewers complained.

Last week, the FCC fined 44 ABC Television Network stations a total of $1.2 million over a 2003 broadcast of "NYPD Blue." The agency is focused on a scene in which a boy surprises a nude woman as she prepares to shower. ABC is owned by Walt Disney Co.

In the "Married by America" ruling, TV stations in Des Moines, Iowa; Nashville, Tenn; Detroit; Washington; Minneapolis; West Point, Miss.; Greenville, S.C.; Yakima, Wash.; Charleston W.Va.; Lansing, Mich.; Roanoke, Va.; Kansas City, Mo.; and Tampa, Fla. face fines totaling $91,000.

"Fox strongly disagrees with the commission's conclusions in the notice and we will be actively considering our options," Scott Grogin, the company's senior vice president of corporate communications said in a statement. He declined to comment further.

In issuing its order, the FCC rejected arguments from Fox and its affiliates that no fine was warranted since the agency's indecency standard is unconstitutional ? and the episode in question didn't even meet the indecency test.

The six-episode "Married by America" introduced a cast of single men and women and allowed viewers to match them up by popular vote. Five matched couples then went through some rituals of dating, and some whipped cream, but none married.

Fox also said some images found to be offensive appeared on-screen for 10.5 seconds.

The hour-long episode in question featured explicitly sexual scenes from bachelor and bachelorette parties.

In its order released Friday, the agency said "by any reasonable definition" many of the activities at the parties constitute sexual activities and the scenes also depict sexual organs.

"While it is true that the nude female breasts and buttocks shown were pixilated, the commission has never held that the full exposure of sexual or excretory organs is required to satisfy the first prong of the broadcast indecency standard," according to the FCC order.

It's the second time in a month the FCC fined a TV network for episodes aired in 2003. The FCC has a five-year statute of limitations for pursuing such actions.

Who really cares?

All there should be is a disclaimer at the beginning or after every commercial that the show has mature content and or just play all shows of that nature after 10pm. Adults/parents can censor what their children watch and if they don't and they complain fine them At some point when are the parents going to be responsible for what their children watch on TV?

I care because it is a further example that our Big Brother government is being run by the religious right and if what they see is not to their liking, they come down like a ton of bricks.

Oh I see where your coming from. Personally if they want to stop the whining they should make some different channels, one for 13 and under and 13 and older. And screw everyone if they don't like the content they can just change the damn channel.

I find the views on nudity and sex shown by many US people and organisations obsessively prudish. I also find the situation here in Thailand over-reactive, too. Here cigarettes, guns, knives close to necks, nipples, buttock creases and crotch areas are pixelated. Personally, I find pixelations and grey clouds draw my attention to these things much more than actually seeing them would.

I am more concerned about children seeing violence or stories that encourage them to believe in racism or sexism or other prejudices - and don't get me started on creationism.

Notice the cable stations are not regulated the same as the national stations. Like cable better.