Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R), Alaska, is beginning a push to apply the same stringent standards, which render network programming so flaccid, upon cable and subscription radio and television.

::headdesk::

Go away, Stevens.

Y'know, if parents are worried about the indecency in cable channels, why not just not have cable? Alternately, if the government really wants to get into it, why not force cable companies to make their offerings a la carte?

"Cable is a much greater violator in the indecency area...I think we have the same power to deal with cable as over-the-air. There has to be some standard of decency."

Fucking fuckwit fuckers. The difference has always been that since cable is elective and paid-for, that the broadcast rules don't apply (especially for non-basic cable).

Also, the FCC had lately adopted the attitude of: "We can regulate all this stuff, because Congress never said we couldn't."

Alternately, if the government really wants to get into it, why not force cable companies to make their offerings a la carte?

Ooh, I'd like that. Not so much for the avoiding of indecency, but I'd love to get just the channels I want without all the filler crap.

V-Chip, people!

It doesn't even require that. Parenting, people.

Good christ. But, you know, it is so hard to keep an eye on what your kids are watching and set limits. And gasp everyone knows you have to have a tv.

No patience with this shit, at all. I swear. I mean, I do have issues with graphic violence, but you know what? I solve them for myself. I don't watch it.

Ooh, I'd like that. Not so much for the avoiding of indecency, but I'd love to get just the channels I want without all the filler crap.

I'd like it too. We might actually order cable then. All we need is Comedy Central and Animal Planet. Maybe Bravo.

Animal Planet.

Animal Planet has a thing coming up like Discovery did with CGI-ed dinosaurs, except this new one on AP is going to be about dragons.

Hell, I could even get behind individual Cable Channels pledging a maximum rating, so that people who don't want to watch anything over whatever could avoid it altogether by not getting any such channels.

Animal Planet has a thing coming up like Discovery did with CGI-ed dinosaurs, except this new one on AP is going to be about dragons.

I think we sold them footage for that. t /Jess' job likes carrots

Okay, Stephanie Seymour has achieved some great curves. But there must be a subtler way to inform the world.

Or, if not subtler, then at least more tasteful