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Federal Communications Commission

Click here to view a listing of recent enforcement actions by the Enforcement Bureau of the FCC.

June 2007

Reactions to Second Circuit’s Ruling Against FCC’s Profanity Policy — June 4, 2007

• Martin Statement: Acrobat
• Copps Statement: Acrobat
  

April 2007

FCC Adopts Report on Violent Television Programming and Its Impact on Children -- April 25, 2007

• News Release: Acrobat
  
  
• Statements of Commissioners:
  
  • Martin Statement: Acrobat
  • Copps Statement: Acrobat
  • Adelstein Statement: Acrobat
  • Tate Statement: Acrobat
  • McDowell Statement: Acrobat
    

Full Text of Report:

• FCC 06-17: Acrobat
  Violent Television Programming and Its Impact on Children
  

March 2006

FCC Releases Orders Resolving Numerous Broadcast Television Indecency Complaints -- March 15, 2006.

• News Release: Acrobat
  
  
• Statements of Commissioners:
  
  • Martin Statement: Acrobat
    
  • Copps Statement: Acrobat
    
  • Adelstein Statement (FCC 06-17): Acrobat
    
  • Adelstein Statement (FCC 06-18): Acrobat
    
  • Adelstein Statement (FCC 06-19): Acrobat
    
  • Tate Statement: Acrobat
    
    
• Full Text of Orders:
  
  • FCC 06-17: Acrobat
    Complaints Regarding Various Television Broadcasts Between February 2, 2002 and March 8, 2005.
    
  • FCC 06-18: Acrobat
    Complaints Against Various Television Licensees Concerning their December 31, 2004 Broadcast of the Program "Without A Trace".
    
  • FCC 06-19: Acrobat
    Complaints Against Various Television Licensees concerning their February 1, 2004 Broadcast of the Super Bowl XXXVIII Halftime Show.
    

December 2004

• Opposition to Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture by Fox Broadcasting Co. and Affiliates in the Matter of Complaints Regarding "Married by America" on April 7, 2003 (submitted Dec. 3, 2004)
  

October 2004

• Media Institute Comments Opposing FCC Regulation of "Violent" Broadcast Programming
• Press Release About The Media Institute Comments
  

Ongoing

• In the Matter of Complaints Against Various Broadcast Licensees Regarding Their Airing of the "Golden Globe Awards" Program, Memorandum Opinion and Order, File No. EB-03-IH-0110 (released March 18, 2004) (reversing an earlier ruling and finding Bono’s utterance "f------" to be indecent and profane).

May 5, 2004

• NBC Television Affiliates Comments in Support of Petition for Partial Reconsideration of NBC, Inc.

May 4, 2004

• Media Institute Comments in Support of the ACLU Petition for Reconsideration
  
• Press Release About The Media Institute Comments
  
• Public Broadcasters Comments on Petitions for Reconsideration
  
• CBS Television Network Affiliates Association Comments on Petition for Reconsideration
  

April 29, 2004

• Radio-Television News Directors Association Comments in Support of Petitions for Reconsideration
  

April 19, 2004

• Petition for Reconsideration filed by ACLU, Fox, Viacom, and 22 Other Organizations and Entertainers
  
• Press Release About the ACLU Petition
  
• Petition for Partial Reconsideration filed by National Broadcasting Co.
  

March 18, 2004

• Text of the Opinion and Order
  
• Press Release About the Opinion and Order
  
• Statement of Chairman Michael Powell
  
• Statement of Commissioner Kathleen Abernathy
  
• Statement of Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein
  
• Statement of Commissioner Michael Copps
  
• Statement of Commissioner Kevin Martin
  

July 2004

• Violent Television Programming and Its Impact on Children, Notice of Inquiry, July 28, 2004
  Word Format / Acrobat Format
  
• Statement of Commissioner Michael J. Copps
  Word Format / Acrobat Format
  

March 2004

• Statement by Chairman Michael Powell to the NAB Summit on Responsible Programming, March 31, 2004
  
• Statement by Commissioner Michael Copps to the NAB Summit on Responsible Programming, March 31, 2004
  

Background

• Summary of Obscenity, Indecency, and Profanity from the FCC Enforcement Bureau's Web page.
  
• Industry Guidance on the Commission's Case Law Interpreting 18 U.S.C. § 1464 and Enforcement Policies Regarding Broadcast Indecency, Policy Statement, 16 FCC Rcd 7999 (2001) (now thrown into question by the March 18 Opinion and Order).