The Supreme Court Upholds Crackdown on Television Profanity

Posted on April 28, 2009 by Libby Pelham

The other night, I was having dinner with some friends. One expressed shock that she saw Luke, a deaf contestant on “The Amazing Race,” sign the term for a female dog (follow me here). I told her I wasn’t really surprised because one of the other contestants had verbally called him that derogatory name beforehand. That prompted another dinner guest to say “Oh yeah, they can say…” and went through all the curse words that could be said on television today without being bleeped out. After that conversation, I remembered that when I was growing up, things certainly seemed a … Continue reading →

Emergency Alert Text System for Cell Phones

Posted on April 10, 2008 by Mary Ann Romans

This is a test, this is only a test…Who doesnï¿½t know those words and the distinctive sound that accompanies testing of the Emergency Broadcasting System. And if you have ever been warned of severe weather in your area, you know how valuable that system is for everyone. Well, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has just approved a new nationwide alert system for cell phone users. The plan puts in place a federal agency that will create the messages and relay them to cell phone companies. The alerts will only be available on cell phone services that have agreed to participate … Continue reading →