Congressmen Set Plans To Hike Indecency Violations.

According to Radio & Records magazine, Rep. Fred Upton, who serves as Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, has sponsored legislation that would allow the FCC to fine a broadcast radio or TV station up to $500,000 for each instance in which material deemed offensive by the commission was aired. Upton’s second shot at indecency legislation would also require the FCC to consider a license revocation after a station received three violations. Upton introduced the Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2004 in the House last year, but Congress failed to enact compromise legislation that would have set a $500,000 fine for each indecency violation and a $3 million maximum for each continuing violation prior to winter recess. Meanwhile, Reuters reports that Sen. Sam Brownback today will introduce similar legislation in the upper body of Congress that would increase the FCC’s levying power to a maximum $325,000 per violation and a $3 million maximum for continuing violations. Upton spent Monday night in Kalamazoo, MI at a free, hourlong Media Smart Families Workshop on responsible television viewing — a session that examines media literacy concepts and various parental control technologies. Speaking of his involvement with the workshop, Upton said, “There is an excess of sex and violence on TV that our kids should not be exposed to. This workshop will provide parents the tools they need to prevent their kids from viewing inappropriate material on TV. I applaud the commitment of our local educators and cable folks in ensuring parents have the knowledge to monitor the programs that their kids are watching.”