Gephyrophillia | Watch This Space #165

Originally Posted onn 02/04/2008 by Jeff Harris

You want to know what's wrong with American television?

The government truly controls it.

Yeah, I know governments all over the world control their television services. Some are state-run while others mandate cultural standards, whether it's banning certain things that conflict with state-run religion or they're trying to lessen foreign productions from seeping into the culture by airing more homegrown products. In America, we're supposed to at least have the illusion that we have the freedoms to watch whatever we want.

But we don't. Well, we kind of do, but the illusion of freedom has been cracked in recent years "thanks" in part to the actions of a vocal minority.

Self-righteous individuals with "family" and "parents" in their names make our government believe that they represent all families and parents. Okay, maybe they don't, but when they tend to cater to their every whim, a casual observer like myself would think that is the case. In a time when many aspects of the Constitution are twisted and corrupted, the freedom of choice, especially when it comes to television, seems to have been lost to the ages.

These individuals believe that their viewpoints should be the only voices on the airwaves. They feel that EVERYTHING should be family-friendly and free from adult situations, profane language, sexual innuendo, violence, and nudity. There's nothing wrong with having that viewpoint, but EVERYTHING shouldn't be like that. Puritanical Correctness has run amok in this country . . .

Let me back up a second. I know that people tend to think that Political Correctness is the reason why the media is so jacked up with everybody trying not to offend anyone, and it is. However, Puritanical Correctness is just as bad, with people trying to ban everything that seems offensive to their beliefs, and they want people to have those beliefs or else. Like I was saying, Puritanical Correctness has run amok in this country. It's why words like "Nipplegate" and "wardrobe malfunction" are in our lexicon. It's why we as a country actually give credience and a podium with guys with the names Wildmon and Bozell. It's also why the world, especially the entertainment world, laughs at us. And something tells me they're laughing at us over a news item that basically fell through the cracks in this never-ending news cycle that includes the popular game show "Who Wants To Be The President," hoopla over the world's biggest commercial showcase (by the way, Perfection Denied!), and pointless celebrity obsession.

The Federal Communications Commission has levied a fine to 52 ABC affiliates over an episode of NYPD Blue that had a scene of female buttocks and a flash at the side of a female's breast. This incident happened in 2003, five years ago, and a year before "wardrobe malfunction" was even a thought. They didn't fine it back when it aired, so why now? What was the reason for the fine right now? Is the government that hard up on money these days?

The ridiculousness of the fine also illustrates the ridiculousness of the current Safe Harbor laws in this country. I bet you were wondering when I was going to get to that subject, didn't you? Well, "safe harbor" laws (a lot of countries call it "watershed hours") are laws that allows networks to have looser restrictions in their programming in a particular timeframe. Currently, the Safe Harbor hours in the United States are between 10 PM and 6 AM. NYPD Blue aired within the Safe Harbor timeslot at 10 PM on ABC. On the East Coast. In the Central time zone, NYPD Blue aired at 9 PM, outside the Safe Harbor. Apparently, the 10 PM start of the Safe Harbor doesn't really reflect television time, even though it is clearly a television law. It's 10 PM in EVERY time zone, which kind of handcuffs the television industry, at least the broadcast television industry. Unless broadcast television extends into the 11 PM time slot, then the current Safe Harbor laws don't work. Show creators and producers don't have the leeway to create or produce shows that are edgy anymore on broadcast television, which is why you see cable networks like FX, HBO, Showtime, TNT, and even AMC dominate critics' lists and award nominations year after year.

They don't fall under the FCC's jurisdiction.

Yet.

Here's a small proposal that should be heard. If you're going to have Safe Harbor laws at a set time for every time zone, then make it at 9 PM, not 10 PM. A 9 PM start time allows broadcast television more breathing room to put on loosely restricted programming. It's not a license to have bloodfests or massive orgies on broadcast television, but rather permission to air a show like NYPD Blue intact and without the fear of massive fines. Personally speaking, I think the FCC shouldn't censor or regulate programming (including enacting laws like The Children's Television Act of 1990), but rather grant licenses to television and radio and make sure they serve their communities through an active role. It's our right to question the laws of the land, and I know I'm not the only one who feels this way.

*end transmission*

Jeff Harris,
The X Bridge Creator/Webmaster
February 4, 2008