Justice Department Asks Supreme Court to Review FCC Profanity Decision

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ASKS SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW FCC PROFANITY DECISION
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
As promised, the Justice Department asked the Supreme Court Thursday to review a lower court's decision that the Federal Communications Commission failed to justify punishing broadcasters for on-air swearing, saying that, as it stands, broadcasters have a pass to swear at will, and the FCC's ability to regulate indecency at all is at stake. In its petition to the court Thursday, Justice said the FCC explained its decision and the lower court -- while remanding the FCC's decision back to the commission for better justification -- essentially said it wasn't likely to be able to justify it. And, importantly, it said that the lower-court ruling was in conflict with the Supreme Court's Pacifica decision upholding the commission's power to regulate indecency. How the FCC is able to exercise that power, or if it can at all, could be at issue if the Court takes the case.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6496531.html?rssid=193

* DOJ Asks Supreme Court To Review F-Word Case
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6496484.html?rssid=196