NTIA Acting Asst. Secy. Michael Gallagher said broadcast technolo...
NTIA Acting Asst. Secy. Michael Gallagher said broadcast technology hasn’t been able adequately to weed out indecent content. “Technology hasn’t answered the question on decency content,” Gallagher told the Media Institute Tues. Gallagher cited a Feb. 13 study by…
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Annenberg Center, which gave 110 families with children a new TV set containing V-Chips. Most parents received extensive operating instructions. Yet, at the end of one year, 77 families said they'd never tried the device, while just 8% claimed to be using it. “Is the technology completely useful? Is the rating system that useful? You have to ask those questions,” Gallagher said. He did applaud broadcasters’ self-policing efforts, such as CBS’s delay system during live broadcasts and Viacom’s “no tolerance” policies. However, Gallagher said he hoped those anti-indecency initiatives weren’t “temporary.” He also supported increasing tenfold the fines the FCC can place on decency violators and that FCC be required to impose the maximum penalty in cases where indecent content aired during child-rated programing. He also invited industry input in creating an action plan for 2005 that addresses communication technology issues.