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 DISSENTING  STATEMENT  OF  COMMISSIONER  MICHAEL  J.  COPPS 
 Re:  Infinity  Broadcasting  Operations  Inc.,  licensee  of  WKRK-  FM,  Detroit  Michigan,  Notice  of  Apparent  Liability  for  Forfeiture 
 I  dissent  from  the  Commission’s  decision  today  to  provide  a  slap  on  the  wrist  rather  than  take  serious  action  to  address  the  indecency  on  our  airwaves.  In  this  decision,  the  Commission 
 proposes  a  fine  of  $27,500  against  this  multi-  billion  dollar  media  conglomerate. 
 I  am  troubled  by  several  aspects  of  this  decision  that  demonstrate  the  Commission  is  not  yet  taking  a  strong  stand  against  indecency  on  the  airwaves.  First,  the  Commission  fined  this 
 very  same  station  last  year  for  airing  some  of  the  most  vulgar  and  disgusting  material  I  have  had  the  misfortune  to  examine  since  I  joined  the  Commission.  In  both  that  decision  and  this  Order, 
 the  Commission  warned  Infinity  that  additional  violations  may  well  lead  to  the  initiation  of  a  license  revocation  proceeding.  Some  may  argue  that  the  program  at  issue  today  pre-  dated  the 
 broadcast  addressed  last  year,  which  only  serves  to  demonstrate  the  need  to  consider  complaints  in  a  more  timely  manner.  Moreover,  the  statute  does  not  require  notice  to  begin  a  license 
 revocation  hearing. 
 Second,  the  Commission  recently  reaffirmed  that  its  indecency  enforcement  will  address  not  only  the  station  that  is  the  subject  of  a  complaint,  but  also  any  other  station  that  aired  the  same 
 programming.  Yet  here,  the  Commission  proposes  a  fine  against  only  WKRK-  FM  in  Detroit  notwithstanding  that  this  program  airs  on  numerous  stations  across  the  country. 


 The  time  has  come  for  the  Commission  to  send  a  message  that  it  is  serious  about  enforcing  its  indecency  rules. 
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