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alp227

(32,056 posts)
Fri Jun 29, 2012, 11:42 AM Jun 2012

High court agrees no indecency fine for CBS "wardrobe malfunction"

Source: Reuters

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday let stand a lower court decision to throw out a federal agency's $550,000 indecency fine against CBS Corp for airing singer Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction" during the 2004 Super Bowl broadcast.

Jackson's right breast was briefly exposed to almost 90 million TV viewers after singer Justin Timberlake ripped off part of her bustier during a halftime show performance. CBS was fined $27,500 for each of the 20 stations it owned.

The justices, in a brief order, rejected an appeal by the Federal Communications Commission, declining to review a ruling by a U.S. appeals court based in Philadelphia that held the FCC had acted arbitrarily and capriciously in imposing the fine.

The Supreme Court rejected the FCC's appeal in the CBS case after its June 21 ruling in two separate cases that went against the FCC's crackdown on broadcast profanity and nudity. It unanimously ruled the FCC standards were vague and the agency had failed to give fair notice of its indecency policy change.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/29/cbs-janetjackson-court-idUSL2E8HT6RD20120629

10 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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High court agrees no indecency fine for CBS "wardrobe malfunction" (Original Post) alp227 Jun 2012 OP
Now that's entertainment Catherine Vincent Jun 2012 #1
Bush puritanical fail jpak Jun 2012 #2
Wow...the Court got 3 right this week. Swede Atlanta Jun 2012 #3
There was no real merit in the charge in the first place dipsydoodle Jun 2012 #4
OMG exposed BREASTS!111!!! shocking and evil!!! NYC_SKP Jun 2012 #5
I don't understand why an issue like this gets into the court system in the first place. mysuzuki2 Jun 2012 #6
Post removed Post removed Jun 2012 #7
Are we really still talking about that? louis-t Jun 2012 #8
Tell that to john ashcroft et al... solarman350 Jun 2012 #9
what about CNN and Fox? Enrique Jun 2012 #10
 

Swede Atlanta

(3,596 posts)
3. Wow...the Court got 3 right this week.
Fri Jun 29, 2012, 11:50 AM
Jun 2012

1. Arizona "hate the immigrants" law reduced to "papers please" only. Still an atrocity but a big win.

2. ACA upheld - conservatives in convulsions

3. Janet Jackson "Boobgate" not indecency.
This one always had me scratching my head. There was no evidence this was intentional or that Janet Jackson or CBS had acted negligently that could reasonably be expected to result in her baring her breast. If it was clearly a "malfunction", a mistake, an "accident" if you will, how could you levy a charge of indecency.

Are you telling me that if a woman walks down the street and a sudden gust of wind blows her skirt over her head and she isn't wearing any undergarments she is guilty of indecent exposure?

The Montana extension of CU excepted, these few cases are ones with which I agree with the Court.

dipsydoodle

(42,239 posts)
4. There was no real merit in the charge in the first place
Fri Jun 29, 2012, 11:52 AM
Jun 2012

Accidents happen. Our Puritanical cousins would have a fit here in the UK.

 

NYC_SKP

(68,644 posts)
5. OMG exposed BREASTS!111!!! shocking and evil!!!
Fri Jun 29, 2012, 11:55 AM
Jun 2012

I cannot believe how ass-backwards and puritanically inept our society has become.

Boobies.

Big deal.



I got em, you got em, we all got boobies!

mysuzuki2

(3,521 posts)
6. I don't understand why an issue like this gets into the court system in the first place.
Fri Jun 29, 2012, 12:14 PM
Jun 2012

It's not like the sight of a breat is going to hurt anybody. How much public money was spent on this I wonder.

Response to mysuzuki2 (Reply #6)

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