Morality in Media: Censor Stern On Satellite, Too

Robert Peters

Apparently, it's not enough for MORALITY IN MEDIA that HOWARD STERN will now be unavailable to anyone but willing paying customers and via equipment that allows parents to block the channel from children's ears: the anti-indecency organization is insistiung that the FCC regulate STERN's show for indecency even on satellite. 

MORALITY IN MEDIA President ROBERT PETERS issued a statement MONDAY saying that since "two federal courts upheld a federal law that prohibited indecent communications for commercial purposes by means of telephone, and to my knowledge if you want telephone service you must still subscribe for it and pay a monthly fee," the federal government has a right to censor subscription programming ("what difference does it make if payment is made directly or through advertisers?"). PETERS also dismisses the blocking technology because parents lack time and energy, can't understand English, have physical or mental disabilities, are naive, or lack interest or concern. 

He does suggest putting SIRIUS' STERN and XM's OPIE AND ANTHONY on a premium channel ("there would be more than enough bottom feeders to make the channel profitable"), although he does not explain how this would be different from being on a service that requires buying special equipment and paying a monthly fee.

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