F-Bombs OK? FCC Asks If It Should Ease Swearing, Nudity Ban

Should the Federal Communications Commission lighten up on enforcing its ban on swear words and nudity on broadcast media?

The agency has proposed doing just that—letting "fleeting" violations slide and enforcing its rules only for "egregious" offenses.

The FCC invited comments for 60 days on the enforcement change in an April 1, 2013 announcement (click on PDF thumnail).

Shrewsbury resident Tat Bill submitted this comment on April 9:

"I oppose any changes to the current FCC indecency standards that would allow television and radiostations to broadcast expletives and nudity on the public airwaves, even if brief or 'fleeting.'"

Comments submitted to the FCC are public. You can see them by searching a comment database at the FCC website.

The American Family Association posted on its website in reaction to the proposed changes: "Current broadcast decency law prohibits expletives and nudity, even if brief or 'fleeting.' The Supreme Court has upheld the law as constitutionally enforceable by the FCC, despite lawsuit attempts by networks NBC and FOX to overturn it. Submit your comments to the FCC, urging it to reject any changes to the current policy."

Would you like the FCC to ease its enforcement of indecency rules on TV and radio broadcasters? Leave a comment below.

Click on the YouTube thumbnail (or visit YouTube.com) for an example of the "fleeting expletives" behind the U.S. Supreme Court case cited by the FCC. It's Cher at the 2002 Billboard Music Awards (6:00 mark—profanity warning).