FCC to regulate Cable/Satellite?

Not long ago, we had a discussion here about Howard Stern escaping the power of the federal government to regulate the airwaves by going to Sirius Satellite Radio.

Well, now there's a push by the Senate to extend FCC decency standards to cable and satellite TV and Radio.

Read here, it's no joke:

http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/ns/news/story.jsp?id=2005030113370002099374&dt=20050301133700&w=RTR&coview=

Ted Stevens, a senator from Alaska (a republican, wouldn't you know) is chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, and said he would push for legislation to "clean up" cable TV and their shows like HBO's 'The Sopranos' and 'Deadwood'.

So much for the "smaller, less intrusive government" Republicans, huh?

dont like it, then dont buy it... i think its crap, and don't really see it passing, but you never know. This is the kind of stuff www.slashdot.org jumps all over.

This is BS.

If people want to pay to see certain content, then they get to see that content.

No kidding - next on their agenda is to make the playboy channel more kid friendly.

No shocker that the FCC would come after cable and satellite next. The country just gave a "mandate" for crap like this.

Why take care of our healthcare problem, when more pressing problems like Southpark and Stern need to be addressed? Robin Williams was right, "...we should just give Iraq our Constitution since we're not using it anyway"

the united states is suuch crap. like redrock skins said. we go after entertainment than issues like education, war, and a growing deficit. but our entertainment should be limited.

I wonder if the media's drowning focus on celebrity (especially news, CNN used to matter, now its celebrity update 24/7) has indirectly caused most of this?

If you don't want to see it, turn the damned TV off, but don't piss on my parade just because you think you can.

exactly...don't want to see it, or want your kids to see it...don't pay for the cable or satellite, and allow the rest of us make that decision for ourselves...

if this goes through...the media will shift heavily to the internet...where the medium is heavily unregulated...T-1 and T-3 lines will become the norm in homes to carry the streaming video feeds...

I'd love to see how the politics of the FCC really work. Is it primarily administration driven or not? I'd have to do some research but I don't think all of the commissioners were appointed by Bush (i could totally be wrong though). In that acse I am wondering why all of a sudden the FCC has gone overboard in its justice. And why now does ANYONE feel that regulating channels that are PAID for is even reasonable. Isn't the basis for the regulation of the airwaves based on the idea that the airwaves are owned by the government so they can therefore deem what is on them? If so. they don't own the cable infastructuer do they? How could it even be legal for them to regulate it?

So much for the "smaller, less intrusive government" Republicans, huh?

Couldn't agree more. Whatever happened to conservatives trying to stay out of the free market and people's homes. Only those people who PAY who that cable will see it. So, what's the deal?