Supreme Court Decision in FCC v. Fox Is Disappointing, Says Media Institute President

FOR RELEASE: April 28, 2009

Contact: Richard T. Kaplar
The Media Institute
703-243-5700

Arlington, Va., April 28, 2009 – The Supreme Court decided today in FCC v. Fox that the Federal Communications Commission did not violate procedural guidelines in adopting a stricter indecency policy for “fleeting expletives” on broadcast television.  The Court declined, however, to rule on the First Amendment question regarding the constitutionality of such content regulation. Media Institute President Patrick Maines issued the following statement in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling:

“The Supreme Court’s decision to punt the constitutional question to a federal appeals court is disappointing.  One can imagine the mischief that may follow in the wake of this mistaken opinion.

“When added to proposed advertising restrictions and continued opposition to liberalization of the cross ownership rules, fines for fleeting expletives become just another burden for the struggling broadcast industry.”

The Media Institute’s website is at www.mediainstitute.org.