The FCC just released its inquiry and complaint charts for Q3 2011, just a few weeks after releasing charts for the first two quarters of last year. Whatever broadcasters are doing, it is not driving consumers en masse to the FCC to complain – total complaints were down compared to Q2, including indecency/obscenity complaints.
The main area of interest in these charts us usually the indecency/obscenity tabulation. And once again, the numbers are totally lacking in drama.
There were 538 complaints during Q3. 302 of them came in September, making it the biggest month of the quarter in this regard. The total was down from 617 in Q2.
Total complaints were also down, dropping from 2,164 to 2,083.
This chart tells the full story for Q3:
| July | August | September | Total | |
| Station marketing/advertising | 20 | 19 | 18 | 57 |
| Interference | 56 | 54 | 54 | 164 |
| Prog: general criticism | 74 | 191 | 178 | 443 |
| Prog: Indecency/obscenity | 139 | 97 | 302 | 538 |
| Other programming | 331 | 258 | 292 | 881 |
| Total | 620 | 619 | 844 | 2,083 |
| Source: FCC | ||||
RBR-TVBR observation: FCC Chairman Genachowski just told members of the US Congress that the FCC’s hands have been tied of late regarding indecency enforcement because of ongoing jurisprudence in that area. But even though the cop is apparently temporarily wearing his own handcuffs, broadcasters are clearly not taking advantage of the situation to sin in this area.
