| Prepared
Witness Testimony The Committee on Energy and Commerce W.J. "Billy" Tauzin, Chairman H.R. 3717, the ‘Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2004 Mr. Lowell "Bud" Paxson
Thank you Mr. Chairman, Mr. Vice-Chairman and distinguished members of the
Subcommittee for providing me with the opportunity to address you today. My name
is Lowell Bud Paxson, and I am Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Paxson
Communications Corporation. My company operates 61 full power television
stations and PAXTV, a full service broadcast television network now in 95
million homes-89% of America's TV homes. Our network is dedicated to providing
family television, free from gratuitous violence, explicit sex and foul
language. Since 1998 we've worked very hard at PAXTV to show that you can be
successful and make money in American television by providing programming that
is wholesome and entertaining, and I'm very proud of that. I have been a holder
of a radio or television broadcast license for over 50 years, and let me say
that no station under my watch ever has broadcast indecent or obscene
programming.
This indecency hearing was called in part because of a few seconds of a Super
Bowl fiasco and the indecent escapade in St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York.
The FCC and Congress say they have authority to regulate indecency on the
broadcast airwaves because they belong to the people of the United States of
America, and I agree.
Therefore, I give my unqualified support for Chairman Upton's bill, HR 3717.
Now, I have a few observations followed by a question. The Super Bowl fiasco was
a matter of seconds. But just two days ago, Tuesday, here in Washington, D. C.,
cable and satellite providers carried 675 hours of pornography mostly on pay per
view channels. Yes, a total of 675 hours of filth in one 24 hour period-and at
all hours of the day. Now, here's the point. Cable and satellite use the public
satellite orbital positions licensed by the FCC. They use microwave frequencies
licensed by the FCC and owned by the people and the right of ways on streets
also owned by the people. Cable and satellite television could not function
without the public's right of ways or the public's spectrum.
I'm not attacking HBO, Showtime or the hundred of other cable networks that go
further than broadcasters in the area of indecency. I'm talking about 675 hours
of pornography in one 24 hour period-Tuesday, here in the nation's capital.
No one sitting in this room can tell me it is in the public interest for cable
and satellite providers to use the public spectrum and right of ways to pipe
indecent and obscene programming into America's living rooms at all hours of the
day without any constraints or limitations. But that is what is happening, day
after day.
How to fix this moral decay? Empower the FCC; enact legislation; have an
amendment to the Constitution if necessary. You are the lawmakers. You can do
it.
Just a note: The Bresnan Cable systems in Colorado, Montana, Wyoming and Utah
carry no pornography channels. I salute and praise them. Oh, yes, they're
profitable…very profitable.
I've talked with dozens of church clergy, and they would step to this microphone
and tell you that the number one family counseling problem is pornography on
cable, satellite and the Internet.
If you need voters' names on petitions to do something about this pervasive
evil, just tell me how many millions. It will be done.
Please don't say that pornography is okay because it is scrambled. In fact, the
people in the home who know how to use a remote control best are the kids, and
you only need a remote control to click on a pay per view channel to unscramble
those signals.
Finally, the proceeding of Multicast Must Carry for the public's digital TV
licenses is over three years old at the FCC. It's the one thing necessary for
the DTV transition to work, and it hasn't happened yet. The cable and satellite
providers say they have no spectrum for the additional program streams that
would provide companies like mine with the ability to offer more family friendly
programming, minority oriented programming and faith based programming. Tell
cable and satellite to get the pornography off. They've got room for our
multicast channels. The majority of American people have values and morals. The majority of
America people do not want what they own to be used for pornography in any way.
Thank you for the opportunity to speak and I'll be happy to address any of your
questions. The
Committee on Energy and Commerce |