Broadcasting Indecency Is Different Than Cable, Internet

Don’t look for Michael Powell to push for regulation of satellite radio content.
In his opinion piece in the New York Times about the FCC’s indecency rules, Chairman Powell reminds readers that the rules apply to broadcast radio and TV, but not to cable, newspapers or the Internet.
The Supreme Court affords those latter three stronger constitutional protection, he states. Broadcasting is treated differently and has more stringent indecency rules “because it is uniquely pervasive, with children having easy access.”
“I believe any effort that any effort to extend regulation of content to other media would be contrary to the Constitution,” Powell writes.
Presumably satellite TV and radio fall into this latter distinction.