Court: Fleeting 'F' Bombs Okay on TV
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 11:11 AM EDT
Anticipated decisions on the president's health reform law and an Arizona immigration policy were held off until at least next week, but the Supreme Court today ruled that FCC indecency standards were "vague" and networks not given "fair notice" before being penalized for violating them. The case stems from celebrities-such as Cher and Nicole Richie-uttering swear words during live television in primetime, as well as an episode of ABC's show "NYPD Blue" that depicted partial nudity. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) — charged with regulating the public airwaves — found that the incidents violated its prohibitions against the broadcast of indecent material before 10 p.m..