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FCC Indecency Ruling Struck Down

Posted by Zonk on from the mebbe-everybody-should-calm-down dept.

arbitraryaardvark writes "Reuters reports that the 2nd circuit has struck down the FCC's recent ruling on indecency, in a case brought by Fox. The court said the U.S. Federal Communications Commission was 'arbitrary and capricious' in setting a new standard for defining indecency. 'Republican FCC Chairman Kevin Martin angrily retorted that he found it "hard to believe that the New York court would tell American families that 'sh*t' and 'f@ck' are fine to say on broadcast television during the hours when children are most likely to be in the audience ... If we can't restrict the use (of the two obscenities) during prime time, Hollywood will be able to say anything they want, whenever they want," Martin said in a statement.' No word yet on whether the agency will appeal.

5 of 548 comments (clear)

  1. So now we're afraid of swearing on the internet? by karmaflux · · Score: 5, Funny

    How exactly did the guy pronounce "f@ck"?

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    REM Old programmers don't die. They just GOSUB without RETURN.

  2. Re:So now we're afraid of swearing on the internet by uolamer · · Score: 5, Funny

    I think it would sound something like F at chik or.. fatchick?

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    s/©//g
  3. Re:Censorship is good? by profplump · · Score: 4, Funny

    No, no, no. You're forgetting that the fleeting use of "obscenities" actually physically harms children under 12. Too much exposure and their eardrums will literally melt. And while their eardrums will eventually grow back, the buildup of melted eardrum material will cause long-term hearing loss if left untreated.

  4. Re:The short version by xs650 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Using Bush's and Cheney's personal behavior as justification for anything is setting a dangerous president.

  5. Fucking ludicrous by MalleusEBHC · · Score: 5, Funny
    A quote from the AP story...

    The new policy was put in place after a January 2003 broadcast of the Golden Globes awards show by NBC when U2 lead singer Bono said an expletive before the word "brilliant." The FCC said the "F-word" in any context "inherently has a sexual connotation" and can trigger enforcement.

    ...

    In a statement, Martin said: "It is the New York court, not the commission, that is divorced from reality in concluding that the word `f---' does not invoke a sexual connotation."

    http://www.mercurynews.com/politics/ci_6063897

    So he thinks that every form of the versatile word "fuck" is inherently sexual. I keep wondering, is he fucking serious? That's a fucking ridiculous stance to take! If he is in charge of censoring our airwaves, things have gotten pretty fucked up.