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More likely than you think.....
The FCC's indecency policy, which bars fleeting profanities and other indecency from the nation's airwaves, has been overturned by a federal court. In a surprise ruling, a three-judge panel in New York struck down the rule, calling it "unconstitutionally vague, creating a chilling effect that goes far beyond the fleeting expletives at issue here." The ban has been on the books since 2003, when Bono dropped an F-bomb during a live broadcast of the Golden Globes awards, and currently allows networks to be fined up to $35 million for each offense. That forces broadcasters to "choose between not airing or censoring controversial programs and risking massive fines or possibly even loss of their licenses, and it is not surprising which option they choose," today's ruling notes. "Indeed, there is ample evidence in the record that the FCC's indecency policy has chilled protected speech." Broadcasters welcomed the ruling, although a Fox spokesman said the network would to "continue to strive to eliminate expletives from live broadcasts."
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