Why We’re Wary About Wheeler

Written by PTC | Published May 2, 2013

On Wednesday, President Obama nominated Thomas Wheeler as the new chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, stating, “Tom knows this stuff inside and out.” But the PTC isn’t so sure. Given that retiring chair Julius Genachowski ordered the agency to ignore over one million indecency complaints filed by the American people, then proposed that going forward the FCC would only take action against “egregious” instances of indecency – thus allowing nudity, profanity, and sex on the public airwaves at any time of day, no matter how many children may be in the audience – it is obvious this nomination is an important one. On Mr. Wheeler’s nomination, PTC President Tim Winter said, "It's hard to know whether Mr. Wheeler will be truly focused on serving the interests of the American people, or whether he'd prefer serving corporate interests.” Thus far, the PTC is taking a wait-and-see attitude toward Wheeler’s chairmanship. But the nearly 100,000 public comments filed in a month demanding the FCC continue to enforce current broadcast decency law should send Wheeler a message: the American people are fed up with the graphic violence, sex, nudity, and profanity the entertainment industry is shoving over their airwaves…and the FCC exists to serve the will of the people, not that of the entertainment cartel. It is a message Mr. Wheeler would be wise to heed.

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