AFTRA Urges Senate to Reject Indecency Bill

As it did recently with House members, the American Federation of TV and Radio Artists is urging Senate members to reject the bill to raise fines for broadcast indecency to $500,000. The measure contains a provision that would make on-air talent partially liable for such fines “for the programming decisions controlled and implemented by broadcast licensees,” state AFTRA President John Connolly and National Executive Director Greg Hessinger in their letter.
“We believe that such legislation should be rejected on the grounds that it represents an unconstitutional threat to free speech and would have an unnecessary chilling effect on artistic freedom.”