Berkeley Daily
Planet
Edition Date: Tuesday, May 15, 2002
City considers censoring TV Council to discuss restrictions on sexually-explicit
public programming
By Kurtis Alexander Daily Planet Staff (05-14-02)
A television-oversight policy being entertained by city leaders would
make city officials the "moral conscience" of the community,
according to Berkeley Community Media Executive Director Brian Scott.
The recommendation, which City Council is scheduled to consider Tuesday
night, calls for adult-oriented programs on Berkeley's two community TV
stations to air only after midnight, and directs the city to provide "oversight
and ultimate authority" over local programming.
The proposal comes amid recent concerns about the hotly-contested "Dr.
Susan Block Show." Airing at 10:30 p.m. on Friday evenings, the program
features a lingerie-clad sex therapist whose live guests have included
women masturbating and provocatively touching one another.
"Many people feel that these shows are on too early," said Councilmember
Miriam Hawley, who is joined by councilmembers Polly Armstrong and Betty
Olds in sponsoring the proposed city ordinance. "The goal is to protect
children from pornography."
At present, legally-termed "indecent" programming is scheduled
to run between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., a loose guideline offered
by the Federal Communications Commission. The proposed Berkeley ordinance
would raise the bar for oversight, moving the airing time of "indecent"
materials up two hours and establishing a city-run review process to assure
compliance.
The problem, critics say, is censorship. Because of First Amendment rights
upheld by the Supreme Court, public access television stations cannot
censor "indecent" programing and are required to air all locally
submitted and sponsored material. The only exception is "obscene"
material, which legal experts say is nearly impossible to brand.
The current 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. window for indecent programing, called a
"safe harbor' by insiders, is merely voluntary, according to BCM
staff.
While sympathetic to existing "safe harbor" times, Berkeley
television producer and sponsor of the Dr. Block show Frank Moore said
that pushing the time beyond the current national guideline was a violation
of free-speech laws.
"Why does Berkeley have to have a different standard?" he challenged.
"I don't think this censorship will play in Berkeley." Moore
said he is considering filing a lawsuit against the city, should the ordinance
pass. In addition to the Dr. Block show, Moore stands to lose a programming
slot for his own, sometimes sexually-explicit, program "Frank
Moore's Unlimited Possibilities."
BCM's Scott confirmed that the station has received a number of complaints
about adult-oriented programming, but said his hands are tied. Censoring
the programs and their times is a legal liability his station is not willing
to take on.
"More stations have been sued for censoring materials than for airing
obscene materials," he said.
"The proposed ordinance puts the onus on the city," Scott added.
City Attorney Manuela Albuquerque says the city is not afraid to take
on the task of regulating public television programming.
"The city may, consistent with the First Amendment, impose time-segregation
rules for indecent programming on BTV for the purposes of protecting children
from lewd programming," Albuquerque said in a written statement to
City Council members.
Under the proposed ordinance, Councilmember Hawley affirmed that the city
would have the final authority to prevent a "truly unsuitable"
program from airing.
Though, to assure fair assessment of controversial programs, Hawley said
the newly-found review process would kick in.
Currently, programs aired after 10 p.m. are done so only at the suggestion
of the producer or sponsor. None of the material is reviewed by BCM officials
prior to its airing.
Back
to Censorship Home
Back
to FMUP home |