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The FCC levies fines based, in part, on how many complaints they receive. Have a wardrobe malfunction, get complaints, get fined. This leaves it up to the community to determine what’s decent and not, or does it?

Recently there’s big a big upsiwng in the number of complains landing in the FCC’s inbox. It must mean the public is getting outraged by all the new shows on TV and Howard Stern’s radio show. Well, actually, all those complains are starting from the same place and the problem isn’t what it seems. It’s a minority that found it’s voice, not a larger public reaction.

Meanwhile television shows are afraid to run Saving Private Ryan because the FCC won’t tell them what will happen if they do. This is called a chilling effect. This minority has become censors for the public airwaves. Piss them off, have hundreds of letters written (mostly all identical, often from people who never saw the show/movie in question) and loose millions of dollars.

Who are these people? They are The Parent’s Television Council. Perhaps of these parents are so concerned with what’s on TV they should monitor their own children’s television watching and keep their letter writing off my Private Ryan. In the mean time the FCC should do a better job of actually gauging viewers reaction and they should never deny a request for declaratory judgment (if that’s what they call it). If the community really is that upset then so be it, but I don’t believe PTV represents the community at large.