The Supreme Court's ruling on TV profanity: The fallout

The justices unanimously throw out fines for fleeting flashes of nudity and expletives on broadcast shows. Will an onslaught of flesh and foul language follow?

The Supreme Court threw out existing penalties the FCC had imposed on networks for nudity and profanity, but left the door open for further policing by the FCC.
(Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

The Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously threw out fines and other penalties the Federal Communications Commission had imposed against Fox for airing isolated curse words during awards shows and ABC television stations for broadcasting a brief display of nudity during an episode of NYPD Blue. The justices said that the FCC's most recent policy did not adequately explain to networks that "a fleeting expletive or a brief shot of nudity could be actionably indecent." Does this mean viewers should brace for an avalanche of butts and F-bombs? Here, a brief guide:

What exactly did the court rule?

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