Thursday, November 09, 2006

FCC Backtracks On Two Charges Of Indecency

(From The Los Angeles Times -- By Jim Puzzanghera)

It may be OK to swear on a news show, but profanities on other programs are still verboten, THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (FCC) announced Tuesday.

The agency reversed a ruling it had made that use of the word "bullshitter" on the CBS program THE EARLY SHOW was indecent.

That decision in March was particularly controversial because news shows traditionally had wide leeway on language.

The incident involved a live 2004 interview with a contestant on CBS' SURVIVOR VEANUATU who had used the word to describe a fellow contestant.

But this week the FCC said it was deferring to a "plausible characterization" by the network that the incident was a news interview, which merits a higher standard for indecency violations.

FCC Backtracks On Two Charges Of Indecency

[So, it's ok to curse on TV, just make sure it's on a news show. Gotcha.]

No comments: