Washington D.C., Apr 28, 2009 / 22:07 pm
In what family advocates called a “huge victory,” the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) may impose significant fines on television broadcasters for airing “fleeting” expletives.
The justices, in a 5-4 decision, said federal law has long prohibited the broadcast of indecent language. According to the Los Angeles Times, Justice Antonin Scalia referred to the perpetrators of several incidents as the “foul-mouthed glitteratae from Hollywood.”
One such incident cited by Scalia involved the entertainer Cher using the “F-word” during a live Fox network broadcast at the Billboard Music Awards. The event had about 2.5 million minor viewers, Justice Scalia said.
Other incidents were caused by Bono and Nicole Richie during other entertainment industry award shows.
The FCC responded by implementing a new policy punishing the broadcast of a “fleeting expletive” with fines for the network and all local broadcasters who aired the show.