Local Television's Ethical Dilemma: Controversial Network Programming

Since the controversial 2004 Super Bowl halftime show with Janet Jackson, local TV general managers have been under pressure to identify and control indecent network programming—programming they do not originate yet can be fined for by the FCC. The purpose of this study was to see what local station general managers were thinking about this issue, and to see how moral reasoning may contribute to their thinking. Most of the 217 managers surveyed tended to apply moral reasoning principles consistent with lower levels of established normative models. The results demonstrate the potential of directly applying moral reasoning theory to the practice of gatekeeping.