Today the Senate Commerce Committee is expected to approve their version of a bill that will raise fines for broadcasts that violate FCC regulations. The House passed their version last week and a vote on the floor is expected the House this week.
The Senate version of the Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act, introduced by Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), is expected to be less severe than the House counterpart. The present form of the bill calls for raising fines for the broadcast of indecent material from $27, 500 to $275,000 with a limit of a $3 million fine for any one incident.
The House version of the bill originally called for raising fines up to $275,000, but after Janet Jackson’s Super Bowl Sunday half-time display of her right breast, the penalties were raised.
Jackson's faux pas launched Congressional investigations into the state of broadcast indecency, encouraging the House to raise their penalties, and creating an atmosphere of fear in broadcast radio and television.
A handful of deejays have already been fired for actions that would have previously been fined. Howard Stern has said that he expects to be fired sometime this week.
Last week the FCC said they were close to wrapping up several indecency investigations, one of which targeted violations by Stern.
The Senate draft was written after Super Bowl Sunday, on Feb. 9, but reports suggest that the Senate won't push as hard as the House.
The Senate is reportedly wary of the license revocation clause that was included in the House bill as well as possible First Amendment concerns regarding fining individuals rather than corporations.
