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 STATEMENT  OF  COMMISSIONER  MICHAEL  J.  COPPS 
 Re:  Complaints  Against  Various  Television  Station  Licensees  Regarding  the  ABC  Television  Network’s  November  15,  2004,  Broadcast  of  “Monday  Night  Football” 


 Although  the  Commission  finds  that  this  broadcast  does  not  violate  18  U.  S.  C.  §1464,  it  does  raise  the  issue  of  broadcasters  acting  responsibly  when  deciding  what  to  air  during  the  hours 
 when  children  are  likely  to  be  in  the  audience.  At  a  time  when  recent  surveys  show  that  a  substantial  majority  of  parents  are  very  concerned  that  children  are  being  exposed  to  too  much 
 inappropriate  content,  I  would  hope  that  television  broadcasters  would  go  the  extra  mile  in  exercising  self-  discipline  when  airing  or  promoting  programming  that  may  not  be  appropriate  for 
 younger  viewers.  There  wasn’t  much  self-  discipline  in  this  particular  promotion.  As  stewards  of  the  public  airwaves,  broadcasters  can  and  should  do  better. 
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