Fox oral argument in Supremes set for November 4 In planning your Election Day activities this Fall, you might want to pencil in a stop by the U.S. Supreme Court to catch the oral argument in the Fox v. FCC indecency case. (Read about the case in our earlier post.) It’s currently scheduled for the … Continue Reading
Indecency appeals – FCC now 0-2 – In a long-awaited decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit reversed the FCC’s order holding that CBS and its affiliates had broadcast indecency in the notorious 2004 Super Bowl half-time show featuring Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake. The Court found that the FCC had had … Continue Reading
Earlier today, the federal court of appeals for the 3rd Circuit overturned the FCC’s $550,000 fine on CBS for the broadcast of Janet Jackson’s infamous 2004 Super Bowl Halftime Show. The Third Circuit overturned the FCC’s decision on much the same grounds as the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit overturned the FCC’s "Golden … Continue Reading
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the FCC’s defense of its "Omnibus" Indecency order, which involved the FCC’s decision to punish "fleeting" expletives. The case, FCC v. Fox Television Stations, marks the first real Supreme Court review of the FCC’s indecency rules since the famous FCC v. Pacifica case considered George Carlin’s "seven dirty … Continue Reading
You can’t hurry love, and you apparently can’t hurry the Supreme Court, either. Despite considerable speculation that the Supremes might announce on Monday, March 3, whether it had decided to hear the FCC’s appeal in the Fox Television indecency case, the Court gave no indication one way or the other on that score in the … Continue Reading
In a long-awaited decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has finally dropped the hammer on the Commission’s indecency policy. In an opinion issued on June 4, 2007, a three-judge panel (with one dissent) has held that the "fleeting expletive" policy invoked by the Commission in 2004 and then again in the … Continue Reading
