While many people believe that there is no censorship in the United States media that is not true. The Federal Communications Commission has outlined some rules and guidelines that TV shows must follow or face censorship. Here’s a look at some of the things that could face censorship should a regular TV station wish to air it.
Graphic Content and Nudity. TV stations and TV shows are restricted from entering any type of graphic content and nudity. Depending upon the level of graphic content and nudity the show may be acceptable by just having a small blurred out section or even a parental disclaimer. TV stations and TV shows are also allowed to show certain images at a specified time in the evening. For example, shows would not be able to show any typing nudity at one in the afternoon but might be able to show the same show at 10 PM.
Public Safety. TV stations and TV shows are protected under the freedom of speech and press. However, should a story put the public safety at risk the local, state and national government have the option to pull the story or ask the media outlets to not air it. This type of censorship really happened and could be a long drawn out court battle as many TV stations will generally air the content if they want. Some services like direct tv sunday ticket be very careful and telecast only shows that are only legal.
Swearing. The censorship of swear words is probably the most commonly used form of censorship. TV shows are not allowed to air the full words of swear words during specified hours. This is to prevent children from picking up and learning these types of words.