The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) says: "Help keep performer fines and license forfeiture out of the “Indecency” Act."
Keep performer fines and license forfeiture out of the "Indecency" Act

Right now, Congress is considering legislation on enforcement of broadcast decency standards.

Earlier this year, the United States House of Representatives passed an extremely punitive “indecency” bill, aimed squarely at penalizing performers, recording artists, and broadcasters. The bill would impose fines on individuals of up to $500,000 and revocation of broadcast licenses.

The Senate Commerce Committee is currently marking up its version of legislation on broadcast decency, which does NOT contain these extreme and dangerous provisions.

Help keep performer fines and license forfeiture out of the “Indecency” Act.

Send a message today to Commerce Committee members and your own Senators to oppose legislation that imposes fines on individual Americans for broadcast decency violations.

Send a letter to the following decision maker(s): Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

Below is the sample letter:

Subject: Don't impose fines on individual Americans for broadcast decency violations

Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],

On May 18, the Senate Commerce Committee will "mark-up" the Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act (S. 193), sponsored by Sen. Brownback.

You may be aware that earlier this year, the House passed an extreme bill, which would fine individual Americans for indecency violations. Although the Brownback Bill currently does not contain provisions for individual fines and license revocation, I am extremely concerned that there may be an effort to add the extreme and outrageous provisions of the House legislation to the Brownback Bill.

The House of Representatives' version of this legislation (H.R. 310) would levy fines of up to $500,000 against individuals with no warning mechanism whatsoever. This legislation is extreme and could subject actors, recording artists, radio announcers, and journalists to financial ruin.

License revocation is bad for employees who work at local television and radio stations. If a station loses its license to broadcast, everyone who works for that station, including engineers, clerical staff, management, on-air talent and sales staff, would be out of work. The license revocation provisions of the House bill penalize everyone who works at the station, even if they have no role in programming decisions.

Specifically, I respectfully request that you attend the mark-up on May 18 and vote against any amendment that would increase fines against individual Americans.

Additionally, I urge you to please support any amendment in mark-up that would strike fines against individuals from the Brownback Bill.

Please resist any attempt to impose fines on individuals for broadcast decency violations.

Sincerely,(YourName)


What's At Stake:

Earlier this year, the United States House of Representatives passed an extremely punitive “indecency” bill, aimed squarely at penalizing performers, recording artists and broadcasters. The Senate Commerce Committee is currently marking up a bill on broadcast decency (“the Brownback Bill”), which does NOT contain these extreme and dangerous provisions relating to individual fines and license revocation. These fines could be imposed even against performers in scripted and recorded programming

Although current FCC regulations permit fines against individuals, there is a warning mechanism in the existing regulations, and the maximum fine is $11,000. The House bill eliminates any warnings prior to imposition of a fine, and increases fines against performers, artists, and broadcasters by nearly 500%. A fine of that magnitude could subject announcers, actors, journalists, and recording artists to financial ruin as a result of a single indecency violation.

Additionally, the House bill would permit a station’s license to be revoked with as few as one indecency complaint—resulting in the unemployment of everyone at the station, from the receptionist, to the sales staff, to on-air talent, to top management.

The Senate Commerce Committee is currently marking up a bill on broadcast decency (“the Brownback Bill”), which does NOT contain these extreme and dangerous provisions relating to individual fines and license revocation. However, AFTRA members are very concerned that the extreme provisions on performer fines and license revocation will be amended into the Brownback Bill, during mark-up.

If you share our concern about this amendment, it is extremely important that you contact your Senators immediately. A number of groups advocating censorship will be flooding the Senate with e-mails asking for performer fines and license revocation. The time to contact your Senators is now.

Campaign Expiration Date 11 June 06

The fines can be offset by the revenue generated by the RIAA lawsuits. After all, those lawsuits are about the artists, right?

Re: "After all, those RIAA lawsuits are about the artists, right?"

I like your brand of sarcasm!

Boy if ever there was a law to put Rappers off the air it's this one. Rap will never be the same!!!!

"Additionally, the House bill would permit a station’s license to be revoked with as few as one indecency complaint"

This is butt stupid. No matter what you do, there is always one extremist that it pisses off. The evening news would be the first thing to go.

Besides, it only took about 30 years for them to notice Roger Daltry singing, "Who the fuck are you?"

On the other hand, I'm not a radio or television artist so I really don't give a shit.

Heck, only a dog investigating a fire hidrant would set some off!!!

if this thing gos through ill have almost evry station in my area shut down. *^_^*

hmm... that actually might not be a bad idea medwrdl

lol

i dont say much usualy but evrynow and then i cant keep quiet. *^_^*

if it went through we could shut down evry riaa station real easy