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Fox: FCC Is Being 'Duped' By Fraudulent Indecency Complaints
February 18, 2014 at 4:21 AM (PT)
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FOX BROADCASTING has complained to the FCC that it has evidence that many of the complaints filed at the Commission against its "FAMILY GUY" were bogus, reports BROADCASTING AND CABLE.
The network and its affiliate association told the FCC in a filing that the letters from alleged viewers were also sent to its affiliates, and that its investigation into the addresses of the viewers showed that "each of these letters ... was postmarked from a MIAMI, FL post office notwithstanding that the 'viewers' claimed to be from 16 different communities. Worse still, FOX’s subsequent investigation revealed that every single 'address' in the complaints was fraudulent. Rather than consumer homes, the addresses appearing on the complaints corresponded to empty fields, vacant lots, parking areas, retail establishments, or industrial facilities. A substantial number of independently-owned television stations affiliated with the FOX NETWORK received similar complaints, with the same flaws and also all postmarked from a MIAMI, FLORIDA post office."
Noting that the network would not have had access to the addresses, which are redacted by the Commission, if the complainants had not served copies on its affiliates, FOX told the Commission that the agency "cannot responsibly administer a narrow indecency enforcement policy, basing investigations on bona fide complaints, if it allows itself to be duped by sham filings." The network asked the Commission to fix the problem that allows bogus complaints to be filed before it acts on indecency complaints.

