Mr. Chairman, I plan to support the Substitute Amendment to H.R. 3717, and I commend your leadership in bringing this through the Committee in such a timely fashion.

During the past month, the Telecommunications Subcommittee has held a series of hearings on the issue of broadcast indecency, and, during these hearings, we learned several important things about the broadcast marketplace:

One, though most broadcasters are good and decent people, a select few have continuously broadcast smut and filth in search of larger audiences and greater profit.

Two, we learned that the agency charged with regulating indecency over the airwaves, the FCC, has been asleep at the switch for some time, and this has led certain broadcast companies to believe that there was little real risk of meaningful enforcement of the indecency rule;

Three, we learned that the FCC, though it has the authority to use the renewal process and the revocation process to more closely examine the fitness of licensees, has steadfastly refused to exercise this authority;

Four, we learned that the FCC has been particularly lax in processing indecency complaints in a timely fashion, and this inertia has led many consumers to express frustration at the FCC's lack of responsiveness; and

Five, it is the responsibility of the Congress to act to ensure that the FCC continues its newfound virtue on this matter and aggressively enforces against indecency over the public airwaves.

Mr. Chairman I believe the bill before us responds to each of these concerns. I am pleased that it raises the maximum fine to a level that may even garner the attention of some of our larger broadcast companies. I am pleased that it compels the FCC to use the renewal and revocation processes to more closely examine the fitness of certain licensees. I am pleased that it compels the FCC to act on consumer complaints within a specific time-frame. Finally, I am pleased that it requires the FCC to report to Congress each year on its activities enforcing against broadcast indecency.

Mr. Chairman, I also appreciate the opportunity to work with you and other Members of the Committee to seek FCC action on the issue of media violence. I look forward to joining today with my colleagues on this Committee in asking the FCC to launch a Notice of Inquiry on the matter of curbing the proliferation of excessively violent television programming that is harmful to children.

Finally, Mr. Chairman, I note that there is sentiment among many Members of this Committee to address the FCC's ill advised decision last year to greatly weaken its media ownership rules. I share that sentiment. Indeed, I continue to find it curious that this Committee, which has oversight of the FCC, never had a hearing on that issue, either during the proceeding or following the agency's decision. Though I will not seek Committee action in the context of the indecency bill, I may use the opportunity of future legislation to seek Committee action on this issue.