FCC Loses Another Indecency Case

Broadcasters won another round in their fight against a Federal Communications Commission crackdown on rude language and racy images in network television.

Amy Schatz at wsj.com writes a federal appeals court Tuesday tossed a $1.2 million indecency fine the FCC had imposed on ABC Television affiliates for airing a 2003 episode of "NYPD Blue" that featured a seven-second shot of a woman's naked buttocks and the side of one of her breasts as she prepared to take a shower.

Broadcasters have now won a series of court victories against government efforts to police airwaves and fine stations for airing risqué content. The Supreme Court could soon get a chance to review the issue. In the meantime, the FCC's campaign to enforce indecency rules has ground to a halt.

Broadcasters say the FCC's questionable ability to keep indecent language and images off the airwaves doesn't mean there's going to be a free-for-all of nudity or salty language.

Under federal rules, station owners can air all the nudity or expletives they want between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., when children aren't likely to be watching, but that doesn't happen because of broadcasters' concern about offending viewers and advertisers.

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