[net.misc] tv censorship

wolit (09/27/82)

I get the impression that some people think the government censors
material on broadcast TV.  Except for real hard-core porn, this is not
true (remember, the Supreme Court ruled "I Am Curious Yellow" not
obscene).  The censorship is all done by the networks or local
stations themselves, and is not done to avoid trouble with the law,
but to avoid trouble with the SPONSORS.  Public or
subscription-broadcast stations often show things that the networks
wouldn't touch, without violating the FCC rules.