Is GOP backpedaling on indecency?

Kathy Roeder of TV Watch passes along a curious editorial from Sen. Ted Stevens which seems to suggest he's having second thoughts about letting FCC chairman Doogie Martin hitch a ride on his powerful Commerce Committee. "Our government should not be in the business of choosing which programs are approprirate for our nation's children," he writes in CableFAX. "By showing the public how to use available blocking mechanisms ..."

And so the backpedaling begins.

By Sen. Ted Stevens
CableFax
April 10, 2006

When I first became Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee a little more
than a year ago, I was approached by several groups and individuals who were
concerned about decency in media content. Blah blah blah ...

In the months following our forum and hearings, major developments occurred
in the marketplace. In December, Comcast, Time Warner, and Cox each
announced that they were instituting family tiers and that other cable
companies were planning to do the same. After our January hearing, DirecTV
and EchoStar also announced family tiers. ...
In addition to introducing family tiers, cable providers and broadcasters
have worked together to make parental controls easier to use.

Existing blocking technologies are able to filter objectionable channels and
programs, whether they are delivered over-the-air or via cable and
satellite, but few people know how to use these filters. Yaddy yaddy.

Our government should not be in the business of choosing which programs are
appropriate for our nation's children. By showing the public how to use
available blocking mechanisms, we ensure those in the best position to make
viewing decisions - parents - are able to do so.

Going forward, we must continue the dialogue that began with our Committee's
Open Forum on Decency five months ago. We must also allow time for recent
efforts to take hold in the marketplace. I will continue to work with my
Commerce Committee Co-Chairman Senator Inouye, the members of our Committee,
interested groups and organizations, and those in industry to ensure
Americans have the ability to monitor and filter the programming coming into
their homes.

Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) is Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee.