TV and radio broadcasting generated a total of 520,330 complaints over indecent or obscene programming last year, according to figures from the FCC.
The commission released its quarterly complaint report May 9 for the final quarter of 2006, in which 30,962 indecency complaints were filed. For the first three quarters of the year the respective totals were 275,131; 52,067; and 162,170.
The total number for last year exceeded 2005, when 233,471 indecency complaints were filed. The year previous was the boom year, when Janet Jackson bared her breast during the Super Bowl--indecency complaints numbered more than 1.4 million in 2004. By comparison, 166,683 indecency complaints were filed in 2003; and 14,000 in 2002, the year before the explosion of online filing through special interest Web sites.
Other fourth quarter broadcast complaint totals included 23 on accessibility; 1,106 "general criticisms;" and 1,236 categorized as "other," which may include dialnorm problems or other grievances about content.
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