FCC Hires Anti-Porn Advocate as Advisor

WASHINGTON — An outspoken anti-pornography advocate has been hired by the Federal Communications Commission to advise the agency on consumer issues involving the cable and broadcast industry, which has been under scrutiny for airing racy material.

Penny Nance, who previously ran the Kids First Coalition, which advocates on the issues of adoption, crime, pornography, abortion and computer safety, has been hired as a part-time advisor in the FCC’s Office of Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis, an agency spokesman said.

Nance, a self-described religious conservative, has testified before Congress and has been interviewed on cable television about Internet child pornography. She did not return calls.

An FCC spokesman was unable to say when she was hired or what her specific duties would be beyond providing advice and acting as a liaison to Congress, public interest groups and the industry. Her new job was first reported by Mediaweek.

The FCC this year has not yet proposed any fines against broadcasters though complaints are pending. In 2004, under then-FCC Chairman Michael K. Powell, the agency proposed fines totaling almost $8 million.

One of the most recent complaints was that ABC failed to censor a swear word during one broadcast of a Live 8 concert, an event aimed at drawing attention to poverty in poor nations.