Day Late and Dollar Short

Dear Mr. Powell, Chairman F.C.C.

Elvis has left the building.

As a member of the broadcasting community and a study of the field for many a year I find it hard to believe that the F.C.C. would do something this stupid. I live in that apparent minority that says if you don't like what you are watching/listening to than turn it off. The Janet/Justin thing was way out of hand as it was a big venue with everyone form Grandpa to Junior watching and there is no need for that type of shit on the air. SO this is my dilemma. I love certain types of entertainment, The Sopranos, NYPD Blue, The Shield, and believe there is a place for everything on television, within limits. Then there is the side of me (father) that feels some of the shit on the tube goes beyond certain boundaries of the viewing audience. I am NOT for censorship but some of this stuff shouldn't be on the air before 9:00 pm. When I sit to watch TV with my wife and son we are not watching 'Family Business' on Showtime but I might as well be watching soft p*rn on MTV. The networks need to exhibit a little more self-control and really take a pass on some of these shows. Maybe if they put the money for developing crap back into quality but struggling shows then gems like Firefly or Murder One would still be here. Instead CBS gives us the 4th CSI, NBC cranks out Law & Order: The Next Generation and FOX puts out....well it's FOX. ABC hasn't had a real hit since NYPD Blue and see how they've f*cked with that all these years. Point is people, TV is more than the Idiot Box and offers some quality stuff on there, but we are letting network office jockeys and yes men turn it into a cesspool of filth and we should be able to do something about it, I'll let you know when I find out what it is.

Now back to the FCC, this stuff has been going on for so long you are closing the gate after the horses are out. You (and Clear Channel) are just now listening to Howard Stern! You blame local CBS stations for Viacoms and MTV's programming of the Super Bowl. Bob and Tom in Indy, Don and Mike in Washington DC, Brother Weeze in Rochester, Howard Stern in New York, these guys are sometimes funny, sometimes cutting edge and always raunchy. Mostly I think they aren't very good, sometime they are really bad and once in awhile they are extremely funny. But that's their job as shock jocks and they've been doing it for damn near 20 years. And NOW the FCC wants to put a stop to it. I say let us the listener make the decision to 'tune in or drop out'. I will listen to some if the boy isn't with me, but never if he is in the car. I am a responsible parent, everyone else should be too then the FCC can go back to letting 3 companies own every radio and TV station in the country.