Supreme Court strikes down television indecency ban
By The Week Staff | June 21, 2012
O
n Thursday, the Supreme Court struck down a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) policy that fined broadcasters for airing swear words and nudity. The case arose from live broadcasts in which celebrities swore on the red carpet or briefly showed nudity. The high court ruled that the broadcasters could not have known in advance that they would be violating indecency rules. The decision did not address the First Amendment implications of the FCC's indecency ban — which some say limits free speech — and the FCC will be given a chance to rewrite the policy.
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