WASHINGTON - Disgusted by racy language, explicit scenes and skin-baring outfits, the Senate overwhelmingly agreed on Tuesday to fine radio and TV broadcasters and personalities as much as $3 million a day for airing indecent entertainment.
Faced with public uproar stoked by Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake's "wardrobe malfunction" at this year's Super Bowl, the Senate rushed the bill through on a 99-1 vote without floor debate.
GOP Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas said the issue has been debated enough. Lawmakers have continually criticized broadcasters for airing what they say is increasingly coarse programming that can be seen or heard by children.
"People are tired of this indecent material on over-the-air public broadcast, particularly during prime time when people's families are watching," said Brownback, the bill's sponsor. "We're going to have to take action because the broadcasters won't police themselves."
Under the measure, the maximum fine for broadcasters and entertainers would increase to up to $275,000 per indecent incident, up from $27,500 for license holders and $11,000 for personalities. The fines would keep increasing for each incident until a maximum fine of $3 million a day is reached.
• Well, as I always say, one has to have one's priorities.
As hypocrisy goes, you may as well add the Supreme Court, who rejected the very same exact argument when Bill Clinton made it about the health plan and ordered him to release the records.
The 2000 election wasn't the first time they reversed their own principles to accommodate right-wing goals, not to mention right-wing slime-attacks.
