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Supreme Court Considers FCC Indecency Laws

USA Today

January 12, 2012

Earlier this week, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments on whether or not we still need the federal government and FCC to regulate the broadcast airwaves for things like nudity and explicit language. USA Today compiles opinion columns and editorials on the case: 

Jacob Sullum, in Reason: "Fox and the other TV networks challenging the ban (on indecency) are urging the Supreme Court not only to uphold the 2nd Circuit's decision (reversing the ban) but to reconsider the 1978 ruling that approved content-based regulation of broadcasting on the grounds that the medium was 'uniquely pervasive' and 'uniquely accessible to children.' Now that nine out of 10 households are served by cable, satellite, or fiber-optic TV and children commonly watch video from non-broadcast sources, it is hard to make that argument with a straight face. Three decades ago, the court portrayed TV and radio signals as unwelcome visitors in people's homes. That description was never accurate. … It is even further from reality in today's entertainment market."

Full story here.

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