CBS warns of censorship if bare breast edict stays

CBS WARNS OF CENSORSHIP IF BARE BREAST EDIT STAYS
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Jon Hurdle]
The penalty on CBS for televising singer Janet Jackson's breast during the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show will effectively censor U.S. broadcasting if it is upheld, the network argued on Tuesday. CBS lawyer Robert Corn-Revere urged the Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn a $550,000 fine imposed by the Federal Communications Commission for indecency after Jackson's right breast was exposed to almost 90 million TV viewers for a fraction of a second. The network called the incident "unscripted, unauthorized and unintended," and Corn-Revere said the ruling has had a "profoundly censorious effect" on U.S. broadcasting by deterring stations from showing material that could possibly be judged indecent. Eric Miller, an attorney for the FCC, defended the conclusion that the Super Bowl show was indecent because it was a "highly sexualized performance" even before the exposure. Miller argued CBS had been "willful" in its broadcast because it failed to guard against indecency. He said the National Football League had expressed concern beforehand about the song's sexual lyrics and that Jackson's choreographer said in advance the show would contain "some shocking moments." The court is expected to rule in the coming months.
http://today.reuters.com/news/NewsArticle.aspx?type=entertainmentNews&st...

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