Federal Communications Commission v. Fox Television Stations

2009-03-19T19:10:05Z

128.118.148.231: fixed grammatical error

{{Ongoing lawsuit|date=November 2008}}
{{Infobox SCOTUS case
|Litigants=FCC v. Fox Television Stations
|ArgueDate=November 4
|ArgueYear=2008
|DecideDate=
|DecideYear=
|FullName=Federal Communications Commission, Petitioner v. Fox Television Stations, Respondent
|Docket=07-582
|USVol=
|USPage=
|CitationNew=
|Prior=
|Subsequent=On certiorari to the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit]]
|QuestionsPresented=Does the government have the power to ban "fleeting expletives" on television broadcasts?
|Holding=
|SCOTUS=2006-2008
|Majority=
|JoinMajority=
|Concurrence=
|JoinConcurrence=
|Concurrence2=
|JoinConcurrence2=
|Concurrence/Dissent=
|JoinConcurrence/Dissent=
|Dissent=
|JoinDissent=
|Dissent2=
|JoinDissent2=
|LawsApplied=
}}
'''''FCC v. Fox Television Stations''''' is an ongoing legal case in which the [[United States Supreme Court]] will decide whether the [[Federal Communications Commission]] has the power to ban "[[fleeting expletive]]s" on television broadcasts.

==History==
The case entered the Supreme Court's docket in October 2007 and specifically concerns obscene language broadcast on the [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] television network from two ''Billboard'' Music Awards shows from 2002 and 2003.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-10-24-dirtywords_n.htm|title=Fight over TV indecency is on high court's doorstep|last=Biskupic|first=Joan|date=2007-10-25|work=USA Today|accessdate=2009-01-22}}</ref> In the 2002 show, presenter [[Cher]] said "fuck 'em" regarding people who she believed criticized her; in the 2003 show, presenter [[Nicole Richie]] stated regarding her television show: “Why do they even call it ''[[The Simple Life]]''? Have you ever tried to get cow shit out of a Prada purse? It’s not so fucking simple.” <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200811/swear-words|title=Freedom's Curse|last=Pinker|first=Steven|date=November 2008|work=The Atlantic|accessdate=2009-01-22}}</ref>

In 2004, the FCC prohibited "single uses of vulgar words" under any circumstances, including previous instances where it gave leeway for "fleeting" expletives that networks unknowingly allowed to enter the airwaves.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1847143,00.html|title=The Supreme Court's 2008 Docket|last=Romero|first=Francis|date=2008-10-06|work=Time|accessdate=2009-01-22}}</ref> However, the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit]] ruled in the case ''Fox et al. v. Federal Communications Commission'' ([http://www.ca2.uscourts.gov:8080/isysnative/RDpcT3BpbnNcT1BOXDA2LTE3NjAtYWdfb3BuLnBkZg==/06-1760-ag_opn.pdf 06-1760]) that the FCC cannot punish broadcast stations for such incidents.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/05/business/media/05decency.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all|title=Court Rebuffs F.C.C. on Fines for Indecency |last=Labaton|first=Stephen|date=2007-06-05|work=The New York Times|accessdate=2009-01-29}}</ref>

On the week of March 17, 2008, the Supreme Court announced that it would hear this case.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/24/AR2008032402969.html|title=Fox Refuses To Pay FCC Indecency Fine|last=Ahrens|first=Frank|date=2008-03-25|work=The Washington Post|page=D1|accessdate=2009-01-22}}</ref> The Supreme Court heard arguments from the case on November 4, 2008, which was also [[United States presidential election, 2008|Election Day]]. Chief Justice [[John G. Roberts]] and Associate Justice [[Antonin Scalia]] expressed support for the FCC.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/11/04/supremecourt/main4570462.shtml|title=Supreme Court Divided On TV Profanity|date=2008-11-04|publisher=Associated Press|accessdate=2009-01-22}}</ref> An article on ''[[Broadcasting & Cable]]'' posted on February 6, 2009 asserted that this case "will be rendered by June, when the current Supreme Court term ends."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/173757-ABC_Defends_Blue_Behind.php|title=ABC Defends 'Blue' Behind|last=Eggerton|first=John|date=2009-02-06|work=Broadcasting & Cable|accessdate=2009-02-06}}</ref>

==See Also==
[[Federal Communications Commission v. Pacifica Foundation]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/news.aspx?id=19804 Associated Press article about the case]

{{SCOTUS-stub}}
[[Category:2009 in law]]
[[Category:United States Supreme Court cases]]
[[Category:United States communications regulation case law]]
[[Category:Federal Communications Commission]]
[[Category:Censorship in the United States]]
[[Category:Obscenity law]]
[[Category:Federal Communications Commission]]
[[Category:United States communications regulation case law]]
[[Category:United States free speech case law]]
[[Category:United States First Amendment case law]]

IdeaWazaWiki - User contributions [en]

Federal Communications Commission v. Fox Television Stations