Study: Most Americans (82%) Content Without TV Regulations

[villager]

Most content without regs

82% of those surveyed against gov't's regulation of TV

By WILLIAM TRIPLETT



WASHINGTON -- More Americans believe in alien abductions than in government regulation of television content, according to a survey released by an industry-backed org. Responding to recent indecency penalties issued by the Federal Communications Commission, TV Watch, members of which include Fox, Viacom and NBC Universal, contracted Russell Research to survey 501 registered voters March 24-26.

Results, released Friday, show that 82% prefer exercising personal choice to view programs; only 12% supported government regulation of content. A 2002 Roper poll showed that approximately 20% of Americans believe in alien abductions. "For too long, activists have gone unchallenged as they pressure the government to control broadcast television content, even though their idea of control has very little public support," Jim Dyke, exec director of TV Watch said in a statement.

Groups such as Parents Television Council and American Family Assn. have lobbied feds heavily for tougher policing of airwaves. Some observers believe the FCC's recent penalties were a direct result of that pressure. Survey also found that 87% agree that existing methods and technology -- such as show ratings and V-chips -- are adequate for parents to control what their children see.

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http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117940842?categoryid=14&cs=1

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. Yet 18% blithering idiots prevail.

Go figure.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

4. Squeaky wheel gets the grease

Meanwhile the rest of us are sitting by quietly letting them get away with it.

[ArbustoBuster]

12. I have this sudden urge to anti-complain.

Write in to the FCC regarding every controversial program that you like.

"Dear sirs, I was watching the orgy episode of 'The Sex Show' and I found nothing objectionable about it. I just wanted to let you know. Sincerely, ArbustoBuster."

I doubt it would work, unless millions of us did it and drowned out the tiny trickle of complaints from the organized goofballs who think TV should be nothing but reruns of "Father Knows Best."

[MADem]

10. Unable to figure out those V chip mysteries, I guess!

Or they are still using that rabbit ears and "colortron" 1960's-era TV they inherited from Grampaw!!!

[Initech]

2. So 18% of the country has control over the other 80%? WTF?

How does that work? It pisses me off to no end when groups with sticks up their asses get a say in what we can or cannot watch. I dont want the AFA or PTC to be my parents. I have parents.

[Writer]

3. Can't read the whole story - can you send me more? n/t

[villager]

6. there's not much more, except for this really good quote:

"When more people believe in alien abductions than think the government should control what adults watch on TV, it puts efforts to have government control television programming in perspective," Dyke said.

PTC was unavailable for comment.

[RaleighNCDUer]

5. Good to see, but also a good example of misleading stats.

Just reading the lead, I though it was talking about ownership regulations. I think there is a clear preference, as described in threads in the past, for regulations preventing the network consolidation that we've seen in the last several years, so 5 corporations control 95% of the media.

Mann Coulter would take that lead and say "See, nobody cares about these ownership regulations!" regardless of what the subject really is.

[villager]

7. hmmm... I didn't get that at all from the original headline...

n/t

[RaleighNCDUer]

8. I guess it's just a matter of predisposition.

I don't worry too much about the blue-nose groups trying to censor everthing under the sun. They've been doing that for generations.

But I do worry about the overturning of the ownership regulations, because we've seen what happens to the media when that happens. So I interpreted the lead through that lens, though of course I found out what it was really about in the first line below it.

But aren't the two inextrably(?) linked, because when the fewest people control the most media it makes censorship, even self-censorship, more effective?

But that is a side-track.

Sorry about that.:hi:

[villager]

9. the two are, of course, linked, and both are worthy of our attention...

As for the blue noses, though -- the scary thing is, instead of being on the fringe, where they belong, they've absconded with the country...as the numbers in the study help make clear...!

[BR_Parkway]

11. So we can say F*ck U! to PTC and AFA - and leave our porn alone

too. Well, not me personally you know, but those who wish to partake should be able to decide for themselves.

[AX10]

13. The PTC should leave America then.

If they don't like freedom of speech, than they need to find a lowly third world dictatorship to live in.