As the Federal Communications Commission considers broadcasters’ appeals of several recent indecency decisions, the Center for Creative Voices in Media today released a new report that argues those decisions stifle free expression, threaten quality television, and harm America’s children.

Martin Scorsese’s The Blues: Godfathers and Sons and Steven Bochco’s NYPD Blue – these are great television programs that the FCC has already judged indecent. Ken Burns’s upcoming PBS documentary on World War II The War, CBS’s 9/11 documentary, the classic Civil Rights Movement documentary Eyes on the Prize, Masterpiece Theater, Roots, and more – these are shows that experts believe may now be ‘indecent’ under recent FCC decisions, according to the report, Big Chill: How the FCC’s Indecency Decisions Stifle Free Expression, Threaten Quality Television, and Harm America’s Children.

“The results of the FCC’s campaign against broadcast indecency are clear. Much of the programming that is being censored, pushed back to a late hour, or dropped entirely by broadcasters is the very programming that Americans overwhelmingly want to see – some of the highest-quality programming available on television,�? said Jonathan Rintels, Executive Director of the Center for Creative Voices in Media and author of the report.

“When the FCC’s inconsistent and confusing indecency decisions force broadcasters to censor, delay, or drop shows like Eyes on the Prize, The War, 9/11 and others, its clear that the high quality television ‘baby’ is being thrown out with the indecent ‘bathwater,’�? added Rintels.

“Many parents want to watch this programming together with their children. By causing quality television to disappear, the FCC has taken a powerful tool out of the hands of parents who use television to open up a dialogue with their kids about controversial topics like violence, poverty, racial disparity, and cultural diversity,�? says Peggy Charren, famed children’s television advocate, founder of Action for Children’s Television and winner of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. “Consider how many parents watched Roots with their children and then engaged in a dialogue with them about the issues raised by that provocative program. For the FCC to deny them that opportunity – that’s not helping kids, it’s harming kids.�?

Based on our podcasts below, Big Chill: How the FCC’s Indecency Decisions Stifle Free Expression, Threaten Quality Television, and Harm America’s Children is here: Center for Creative Voices in Media: News.

Kansas City Star TV Critic Aaron Barnhart interviews Martin D. Franks, Executive Vice President, Planning, Policy and Government Relations, CBS Corporation, about the FCC indecency fines imposed against the networks, and the networks' subsequent lawsuit -- in which CV has intervened.  Feel the outrage!  Even more justified now after Bush's obscenity -- clear political speech! -- had to be bleeped by the broadcast networks' news shows out of fear of an FCC fine.

If it's easier, all our podcasts are also available at the Apple iTunes store, here. 

Steven Bochco is the Emmy, Peabody, and Humanitas-award winning creator and producer of NYPD Blue, LA Law, Hill Street Blues, Doogie Howser, Hooperman, and many other television series.  Following the FCC's decision that an episode of NYPD Blue was indecent, Bochco discusses that show's history of trouble with censors, as well as the decision's impact on creative artists, television, culture, and democracy, in this wide-ranging interview with Jonathan Rintels, Executive Director of the Center for Creative Voices in Media.  This podcast is one of a series titled The Censorship Chronicles conducted by Creative Voices, a nonpartisan nonprofit group dedicated to preserving free expression, and independent and diverse creative voices in our nation's media.  Website:  www.creativevoices.us

As the founder of Action for Children's Television, Peggy Charren is the "Mother of Quality Children's Television" and has been awarded both a Peabody Award and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.  A firm believer that government censorship does not help children, but harms them, Ms. Charren discusses the impact of the FCC's indecency decisions on children, parents, television, culture, and democracy, in this wide-ranging interview with Jonathan Rintels, Executive Director of the Center for Creative Voices in Media.  This podcast is one of a series titled The Censorship Chronicles conducted by Creative Voices, a nonpartisan nonprofit group dedicated to preserving free expression, and independent and diverse creative voices in our nation's media.  Website: www.creativevoices.us

Vin Di Bona, Emmy and Peabody-award winning creator and producer of America's Funniest Videos on ABC, discusses the impact of the FCC's indecency decisions on that show, and more generally on creative artists, television, culture, and democracy, in this wide-ranging interview with Jonathan Rintels, Executive Director of the Center for Creative Voices in Media.  This podcast is one of a series titled The Censorship Chronicles conducted by Creative Voices, a nonpartisan nonprofit group dedicated to preserving free expression, and independent and diverse creative voices in our nation's media.  Website:  www.creativevoices.us