Supreme Court to examine !@%$#%@ profanity rules

by Rob Peters | March 17, 2008 at 01:31 pm

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The classic free-speech-versus-protecting-the-tender-ears-of-children debate will resurface in fall when the Supreme Court takes a look at broadcast decency rules against the "F-word and its close cousins" on the air.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday stepped into a legal fight over the use of curse words on the airwaves, the high court's first major case on broadcast indecency in 30 years.

The case concerns a Federal Communications Commission policy that allows for fines against broadcasters for so-called "fleeting expletives," one-time uses of the F-word or its close cousins.

Fox Broadcasting Co., along with ABC, CBS and NBC, challenged the new policy after the commission said broadcasts of entertainment awards shows in 2002 and 2003 were indecent because of profanity uttered by Bono, Cher and Nicole Richie.

A federal appeals court said the new policy was invalid and could violate the First Amendment.

No fines were issued in the incidents, but the FCC could impose fines for future violations of the policy.