As writers of cable and satellite programs have "pushed the envelope" to see how far they can go with obscenity and indecency, critics have termed programs everything from "tacky" and "in bad taste" to "raunchy" and "suffocating sewage." The Federal Communications Commission licenses frequencies to radio and television broadcasters who, by law, must meet public service requirements and obey decency rules. Because cable and satellite do not transmit using frequencies, but rather employ technology paid for by private industry, and because cable and satellite require subscription fees, legal experts have maintained that Congress and the FCC lack the authority to regulate them for indecency and obscenity. Moreover, cable and satellite companies consider their programs immune from FCC rules and fines.
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