ABC-TV withdraws court challenge to FCC for "indecent" lanugage

November 22, 2006

U.S. broadcasting network ABC-TV says it is withdrawing its court challenge to four FCC profianity decisions, pending the finality of the agency's decision to withdraw its indecency findings against tv series NYPD Blue.

The matter turned on November 6 when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit vacated portions of the FCC ruling against the network for content aired on NYPD Blue.

The FCC's formal withdrawal of indecency charges would close a dispute based on airing of a common bovine scatology term during a 2003 episode of the popular series. The FCC, however, had maintained that the terms "dick" and "dickhead," which were uttered in the same episode, was OK.

Once again I wonder what the disposition of this matter would have been if these terms- and even coarser language aired on Fox' broadcasts of the Billboard Music Awards in 2002 and 2003- were carried online to unsuspecting minors.

Fox Broadcasting involved in controversial content. Imagine that.

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