FCC wants to Reconsider Indecency Ruling

FCC WANTS TO RECONSIDER INDECENCY RULING
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: Larry Neumeister]
The Federal Communications Commission rushed to judgment in concluding that "NYPD Blue" and three other television programs violated rules governing the broadcast of indecent and profane material, an FCC lawyer said Tuesday. The lawyer, Eric D. Miller, asked an appeals court to delay hearing a challenge to the FCC's findings for two months so its board can hear the opinions of the owners of the programs and reconsider its rulings, which carried no fines. In court papers, the FCC said it skipped its usual process of soliciting responses from the broadcasters because it believed the orders responded to requests from broadcasters for guidance on what violates the FCC's new indecency and profanity rules. The FCC said it acted faster than usual and did not propose fines for any of the programs, concluding only that the programs "apparently" violated the statutory and regulatory prohibitions on indecency and profanity. Lawyers for several broadcasting companies told the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals they ultimately want to challenge the rules, which they say have spoiled their First Amendment rights, exposing them to hefty fines for accidental broadcasts of isolated and fleeting expletives.
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