Mountain Lake PBS Productions » FCC http://mlpbsproductions.org/blog Colin Powers reflects on PBS programming for the Adirondacks, Lake Champlain, & Quebec, public broadcasting, and the future of media distribution. Sat, 07 Jan 2012 19:09:07 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Appeals Court Hammers the FCC on inconsistent indecency rulings http://mlpbsproductions.org/blog/appeals-court-hammers-fcc-inconsistent-indecency-rulings/: http://mlpbsproductions.org/blog/appeals-court-hammers-fcc-inconsistent-indecency-rulings/:#comments Fri, 16 Jul 2010 14:41:35 +0000 production http://mlpbsproductions.org/blog/?p=428 Today the States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued a decision that found the the FCC’s 2006 decision to punish broadcasters for Cher and Nicole Richie’s “fleeting expletives” was based on vague and inconsistent standards. It is likely that this decision and possibly the upcoming decision on Janet Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction” in the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals will be appealed to the Supreme Court for decision in the next several years.

The good news is that this decision included a strongly worded rebuke on the FCC’s inconsistency regarding rulings about the same expletives that were allowed in Saving Private Ryan, but disallowed in the documentary The Blues – Godfathers and Sons. This might mean a pause in new findings by the FCC while these decisions are appealed. Meanwhile, broadcasters like Mountain Lake PBS are still likely to err on the side of caution and flag and/or censor expletives and visual materials before airing them. Regardless of the court decisions, Mountain Lake PBS will always be careful to evaluate all the programs that we air, provide viewer discretion warnings when appropriate and move questionable content into late evening slots.

]]> http://mlpbsproductions.org/blog/appeals-court-hammers-fcc-inconsistent-indecency-rulings/:/feed/ 0 How I Lost the Big One, Bigtime | Save the Internet http://mlpbsproductions.org/blog/how-i-lost-the-big-one-bigtime-save-the-internet/: http://mlpbsproductions.org/blog/how-i-lost-the-big-one-bigtime-save-the-internet/:#comments Fri, 16 Apr 2010 17:40:45 +0000 production http://mlpbsproductions.org/blog/how-i-lost-the-big-one-bigtime-save-the-internet/:

How I Lost the Big One, Bigtime

By Marvin Ammori, April 7, 2010

On Tuesday, the D.C. Circuit ruled on an important Internet law case I argued for Free Press on behalf of a range of “supporting intervenors” in the case. I wanted to post a few thoughts about the decision.

I’ll begin with how the decision affects you: It’s really bad news. I’m sorry to be the one to tell you, but I’m sure you’ve heard (from multiple news sources). The court decision is a stunning, sweeping defeat for the FCC and for its ability to protect consumers, foster competition and innovation, and preserve the Internet’s role as an engine of free speech and democratic discourse. It means, essentially, that the largest phone and cable companies can secretly block dozens of technologies used by large corporations, nonprofits and individuals to speak and organize, and the FCC can do nothing to protect us. (The subject of the Free Press-Comcast case, which this decision

via savetheinternet.com

I posted the other day about the recent ruling for Comcast and against the FCC. This is straight from one of the attorneys that argued the case.

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