December 14, 2005
Speak Up Now!
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The unintended airing of the F-word during the July 2, 2005, Live 8 broadcast on ABC was NOT a significant violation of contemporary community standards, and does not qualify as "indecent" according to the FCC's standards This single utterance of foul language does not warrant action against ABC and its affiliates. Further, in the past, the FCC has ruled that the F-word is not indecent unless it refers to sexual activity. In this case, "Who the f--- are you?" clearly has nothing to do with a sexual act. In a previous ruling on the use of the F word during the Golden Globe Awards, the Commission stated the following: "As a threshold matter, the material aired during the 'Golden Globe Awards' program does not describe or depict sexual and excretory activities and organs. The word 'fucking' may be crude and offensive, but, in the context presented here, did not describe sexual or excretory organs or activities. Rather, the performer used the word 'fucking' as an adjective or expletive to emphasize an exclamation. Indeed, in similar circumstances, we have found that offensive language used as an insult rather than as a description of sexual or excretory activity or organs is not within the scope of the Commission's prohibition of indecent program content." This case is no different. While the use of the F word may have been offensive to some, it is not within the scope of the Commission's prohibition of indecent program content. Please deny the indecency complaints filed in regards to this matter, and do not take action against ABC or its affiliates.
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