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AirTalk

FCC's Broadcast Indecency Rules In Legal Limbo

A federal appeals court on Monday threw out a half-million dollar indecency fine against CBS for the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show that ended when Janet Jackson's breast appeared briefly. The three-judge panel of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Federal Communications Commission "acted arbitrarily and capriciously" in issuing the fine. The Supreme Court is set to hear a similar case this fall regarding the FCC's "fleeting expletives" policy. In light of these legal challenges, how are broadcasters to know where to draw the line? Larry talks with Tim Winter, President of the Parents Television Council, and Jonathan Taplin, Professor of Communication at USC's Annenberg School of Communication, about the future of the of the FCC's indecency standards.