Family Television? Better Think Again

Obscene language on primetime television, according to a new study, is on a meteoric rise in both frequency and intensity – with the 'f-word,' for example, being spoken or bleeped 25 times as often as it was only five years ago.

The "Habitat for Profanity" study, conducted by the Parents Television Council, compared primetime programming from the nation's top broadcast networks in the first two weeks of the 2010 and 2005 fall seasons.

The study found that not only has overall usage of obscene language increased by 69.3 percent since 2005, but also that harsh obscenities have increased most significantly in the first hour of prime time, the so-called "family hour" of 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern Time. During that hour alone, the use of a bleeped "f-word" rose from 10 instances in 2005, to 111 instances in 2010.

"Our analysis of the first two weeks of this still-new fall television season shows a disturbing trend that shocked even us," said PTC President Tim Winter in a statement. "Profanity is far more frequent and the profanity itself is far harsher than just five years ago. Even worse, the most egregious language is being aired during the timeslots when children are most likely to be in the audience."

He continued, "While broadcasters continue to claim that they can regulate themselves, this type of increase in profane words aired on scripted programming - not on live broadcasts that are the subject of ongoing judicial review – suggests otherwise.

Winter also criticized TV broadcasters in light of a decision made last summer by the U.S. Second Circuit  Court of Appeals in the ongoing Fox v. FCC case. In July, the court's three-judge panel tossed out the Federal Communications Commission's indecency rules, which had put limits on language and content in broadcast television programming. The court called the regulations "unconstitutionally vague and chilling."

"After the Second Circuit Court of Appeals threw out the FCC's congressionally-mandated authority to enforce the broadcast decency law," Winter said, "industry and media pundits predicted a sharp increase in the amount of profanity on television. Sadly, they were correct."

He continued, speaking of the recent increase in obsene language: "Is this a coincidence? Is it an aberration? Or is this exactly the path that broadcasters and the 'creative community' in Hollywood set out when they began launching their legal attacks against the broadcast decency law?"      
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