FCC to Fine Curses More Than Nuke Violations

DiZNoG writes "With Congress debating new higher fines for broadcast indecency in the wake of last year's 'wardrobe malfunction' and Howard Stern's antics, Rolling Stone has published an interesting perspective on things. Rolling Stone did a review of fines levied by other federal regulatory bodies, and has found the new indecency fines disproportionately large compared to other fines. According to the article, if the bill passes then 'for the price of Janet Jackson's 'wardrobe malfunction' during the Super Bowl, you could cause the wrongful death of an elderly patient in a nursing home and still have enough money left to create dangerous mishaps at two nuclear reactors.' The article further states the largest fine the Nuclear Regulatory Commission levied last year was $60,000, this new bill would allow broadcast indecency fines up to $500,000. Glad I keep my broadcast cursing to a minimum, now if I could only get a handle on those pesky dangerous nuclear mishaps."

Comments

Law is an ass

[Skiron]

In the UK the price of a human life is about 5 years in prison, maybe let off to 3 years with good behaviour. But rob a bank (i.e. go against the state) you will be looking at a minimum of 25 years in prison.

Re:Wrongfully Causing a Death?

[LWATCDR]

Nope wrongful death is a term used in Tort Law. What the person glossed over is that in a wrongful death case the person could still be charged for murder if it was premeditated. Let's say a nurse in a nursing home killed a resident. The nurse would be charged for murder while the nursing home would be sued for Wrongful Death because the "should have" protected the resident better.
The reason that the FCC wants to have bigger fines is simple. If you will pay a few million for a 30 sec ad on the superbowl just how big a deterrent is a 20,000 fine?
I love how people are so worried about the FCC slapping big fines on Media companies for breaking the rules. I mean these are the same media companies behind the RIAA and MPAA.