In the name of decency

Media | High court affirms FCC role in policing TV content | Rebecca Kelley

Associated Press/Photo by Joe Cavaretta

The Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, ruled that the Federal Communications Commission did indeed have the authority to sanction TV stations for "fleeting" profanities, reaffirming the much-maligned Bush-era indecency crackdown on Hollywood. The April 28 ruling addressed what Justice Antonin Scalia termed "foul-mouthed glitteratae from Hollywood" speaking profanities on-air during live TV broadcasts, such as awards shows.

The case stems from the singer Cher's utterance of an obscenity during the 2002 Billboard awards on Fox. On the heels of that ruling, the high court on May 4 ordered a lower court to reconsider its decision tossing out a fine against CBS over the so-called "wardrobe malfunction" that resulted in the airing of Janet Jackson's exposed breast during the Super Bowl halftime show in 2004.