Senate Commerce Committee Vice Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) today urged the Senate to take up the Protecting Children from Indecent Programming Act (S. 1780) that he is cosponsoring along with Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii).

The legislation was introduced by Senator John D. Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) and would require the FCC to maintain a policy that the broadcast of a single word or image may be considered indecent. The measure was approved earlier this summer by the Senate Commerce Committee.

“I urge the Senate to take up this important legislation,” said Stevens. “Radio and broadcast TV are still the way most Americans get their news and entertainment. Whether sitting in a car with your children or in front of the TV, the American public should be able to expect that they will not be barraged with unexpected indecent material, whether it is through an image or a word.”

This legislation would specifically allow the FCC to establish that a single word or image in a given context may be considered indecent and levy fines against the broadcaster. It does not address or change the law regarding whether a word or image in a particular context is actually indecent.