The conservative right must’ve grown exhausted after Janet Jackson’s Superbowl nip slip, as the number of indecency complaints filed with the FCC dropped from 157,000 in the year’s first quarter to just 6,200 in the second quarter.
Which makes FCC chair Kevin Martin’s job much easier and gives him more time to focus on that which matters, like golf.
But rather than take advantage of the fewer number of complaints and give each a bit more attention, the Michael Powell replacement is addressing them as one big steaming pile of shit he couldn’t be bothered with.
First, the agency hoped to establish clearer guidelines for interpreting indecency, and thus address one of the industry’s biggest complaints — that FCC indecency decisions are frustratingly inconsistent. “But they were making no headway on that,” a well-placed FCC source says.
Second, Martin felt the commission’s routine of voting on complaints in piecemeal fashion was contributing to the inconsistency. “Better to deal with a large number all at once,” the source says. The hope is to provide a clearer — or less confused — idea of how the FCC under Martin will approach indecency.
That’s right: The way to send a clearer message that will distinguish what it is to be indecent is to group complaints into one big heap and slam the gavel and call it a day.