How FCC's Obscenity Crusade Has Become An Advertising Tool

Overhype

from the and-so-it-goes dept

We’ve really tried to stay out of the whole question concerning the FCC’s recent obsession with obscenity. It does seem like mostly a morality question, rather than a technology/business issue, and questions relating to morality tend to lead to arguments that no one will ever agree on — and those types of arguments seem like a waste of time. However, with all the hype, Mark Cuban has come up with the most accurate description concerning the FCC’s latest anger concerning some random snippet of TV that a few people (and it really does take just a few) complained about. Cuban points out that, just like when people try to ban content they don’t like, it only makes that content much, much more interesting to millions of people who wouldn’t have seen it before. Except, these days, with TV broadcasters trying to do anything they possibly can to get attention, creating a TV event which will generate complaints becomes a promotional tool. People will complain, the FCC will investigate, but everyone will talk about it. The news will write about it. Blogs will chatter about it. TV gossip shows will replay it, and (of course) it will be downloaded millions of times on the internet. In the end, more people will tune in to see what sort of border you cross next time. The cost? Maybe a small fine from the FCC, which will be tiny compared to the amount of advertising the whole mess provides. Yes, it appears the FCC, in trying to fine obscenity, may have just created a great marketing platform for broadcasters — and, in the process, guaranteed more material they consider to be “indecent” makes it onto television.