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August 15, 2005
Tuned In: Group reshaping indecency debate
By Rob Owen
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- TV Watch, an advocacy group that started within the past few months with assistance from NBC Universal, News Corp. (corporate parent of Fox) and Viacom (corporate parent of CBS), is trying to move the public debate over indecency on TV away from what its leaders say is a vocal few and toward parental control and a minimum of government interference.
The formation of TV Watch follows numerous complaints about indecent TV -- an unbleeped profanity in a live telecast here, worries over a rebroadcast of "Saving Private Ryan" there -- that snowballed in the wake of Janet Jackson's breast-baring during the Super Bowl telecast in 2004.
TV Watch's Web site, www.televisionwatch.org, explains its primary goals: Americans should determine what is seen and heard in their own homes based on their own personal tastes. The TV industry should rate programs and promote awareness of ratings tools. The group warns, "Either we take responsibility for what our children watch or the government will decide what all of us can watch."
That's a logical and reasonable approach, and "American Dreams" executive producer Jonathan Prince appeared on a TV Watch panel late Friday and encouraged other show runners to take greater responsibility for what's on TV.
"Sometimes we are cavalier about the responsibility we have," he said. "If we police ourselves better and they still come down on us, then I think we have a problem. But part of the problem lies in our own lack of moderating our behavior in order to, what? Shock an audience? Get people to write about us? So people get buzz and the network gets ratings? That cavalier attitude has put networks in a dangerous place."
Again, Prince takes a smart, measured approach.
Then it all went to, uh, downhill.
Richard Schiff, who plays liberal White House staffer Toby Ziegler on "The West Wing," said his character will be phased out this season by what he described as mutual consent. But then he tried to blame his departure on the corporate culture at Warner Bros., which produces the series.
"There is pressure to relieve him of his voice," Schiff said. Later he backtracked, saying it was not direct corporate control but that the studio had an influence on the show's budget. Yes, the studio does, and that's why it's called show business. "We're in a bottom line culture right now," Schiff said. "More money can be made if it's quicker, faster. In the days of Aaron Sorkin, it was quite expensive because his artistic process demanded more time. That has been eliminated."
After the press conference, Schiff continued to back away from his initial tone.
"I'm not accusing Warner Bros. of suppressing Toby in any way, shape or form," Schiff said. "It's not some suit at Warner Bros. that goes, 'That Toby, we've got to suppress him.' I know it sounded like that, but it's not what I mean, and that's stupid."
Basically, Schiff's frustration boils down to an artist who said his suggestions for his character were more often heeded under original show runner Sorkin than current show runner John Wells. But that has little to do with TV Watch or the FCC's rash of fines over content.
Schiff said he's contracted for 11 episodes this year, and other actors will also appear in fewer episodes to accommodate a smaller budget that resulted from lower ratings. At the same time, he and other cast members will get the same pay for the episodes they are in as they have in the past.
"It's not a bad deal," Schiff acknowledged.
No, it's really not.
Posted by Jo at August 15, 2005 07:54 PM