So I’m skimming through my email and find a story, via Mediaweek’s online link, that a U.S. Appeals Court has shot down the Federal Communications Commission guidelines for fleeting expletives on live broadcasts.
So the next time a rap star or football player drops the f-bomb on a live show, the network or stations won’t get fined for it.
According to the story, the court wrote, “The FCC’s policy violates the First Amendment because it is unconstitutionally vague, creating a chilling effect that goes far beyond the fleeting expletives at issue here.”
You can read the whole story here.
But before everyone panics, let’s think this one through. The circumstances cited in the ruling are relatively rare – a fleeting expletive uttered during a live broadcast. It doesn’t mean foul language, in general, is acceptable. There are, to the best of my knowledge, clear guidelines in place on that. It just means that if someone goofs up and says something naughty during a live broadcast, the networks aren’t going to get fined for something that was beyond their control.
I can understand not wanting our kids exposed to bad examples on TV, as if seeing it on the screen magically legitimizes the behavior. But if you, as a parent, are already watching with your kids, you’re already in the habit of questioning the behavior of those they see on TV. So how does being on TV legitimize the behavior?
I can also understand not wanting to listen to foul language, especially in circumstances where you can reasonably expect not to hear it. And that’s fair. Furthermore, there’s good reason to believe that the networks might just abuse the privilege. So if they don’t want restrictions back in place – specific ones – then they’d better not abuse things.
So let the dialogue begin. Is this a good move on the part of the courts? Do you think the networks are going to behave responsibly?
