Decency on the Airwaves

Remember George Carlin's "seven dirty words" monologue? Many people thought it was pretty funny, but what happened afterwards was not. The Federal Communications Commission charged that it violated broadcast standards for "indecency," a decision that was upheld by the Supreme Court in 1978. Since then, the question of defining what is "indecent" has plagued courts, consumers, broadcasters and performers.

In the recent past, the FCC has issued citations for Sarah Jones' political song "Your Revolution" and the radio-edited version of Eminem's Grammy-winning song, "The Real Slim Shady." The Supreme Court has never reversed its 1978 decision, but more recent cases cast doubt on the continuing viability of the decency standard. Now, a coalition of First Amendment organizations, including NCAC, is petitioning the FCC to bring the indecency standard into line with recent First Amendment decisions.

To see a copy of the Comments filed with the FCC on August 6, click here. (PDF file)