Accidental Expletives are OK

It was the wardrobe malfunction heard around the world that jump-started the crackdown on media censorship, an issue which is extremely controversial and debatable. The Federal Communications Commission is the power behind what is appropriate or inappropriate to be seen or heard on television or radio. A federal appeals court came to the decision, yesterday, that networks cannot be fined or penalized in any way for expletives that are accidental. They ruled that the FCC's method of determining what is indecent is "arbitrary and capricious." Television networks have often criticized the method the FCC uses to enforce their rules of being unpredictable. The 2-1 decision sent the FCC back to the drawing board to make some changes to the rules and how they enforce them. In order for the rules to be monitored and clear, they need to have concrete rights and wrongs for the networks.

Scott Grogin, a Senior Vice President at Fox said, "We are very pleased with the court's decision and continue to believe that government regulation of content serves no purpose other than to chill artistic expression in violation of the First Amendment. Viewers should be allowed to determine for themselves and their families, through the many parental control technologies available, what is appropriate viewing for their home."

FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin said, "I view this as having a significant impact on our ability to enforce our indecency regime as to any restrictions on language." The FCC is not backing down; they are considering appealing the decision and will not give up without a fight. Further legal actions on their part will be decided shortly.