News Release
For Immediate Release:  June 21, 2012
Contact:  Diane Gramley  1.814.271.9078 or 1.814.437.5355

Victory:  US Supreme Court Upholds Broadcast Decency Laws

(Harrisburg) — The American Family Association of Pennsylvania (AFA of PA), a broadcast decency advocate, is mostly pleased by the United States Supreme Court decision in the Federal Communications Commission v. Fox case handed down today upholding the federal broadcast decency law (18 USC 1464) including the “fleeting expletives” rule.   As television programming aired over the people’s airwaves continues its assault on our senses the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) must do its part in enforcing the law.

“The Supreme Court has given the FCC a green light to enforce the federal broadcast decency law and we encourage it to vigorously do its part in cleaning up the airwaves so parents can once again feel free to allow their children to watch broadcast television without fear of an assault of their senses,” Diane Gramley, president of the AFA of PA said in response to the ruling.

Today’s decision also throws out a US Second Court of Appeals ruling which found broadcast decency laws unconstitutional.  That court has now been given an opportunity to reconsider its ruling.  The broadcast decency standards are specifically designed to protect children between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. when children are more likely to be watching.

“The public airwaves need to be cleaned up and the FCC must make sure the networks fully understand what is expected of them.  The case was first brought in 2004 and the networks worked vigorously to have all restraints on them removed, but today’s Supreme Court decision went against the wishes of the networks and was a move forward to protect children.   It’s now up to the FCC to stand for the children of America and begin a cleanup of the cesspool broadcast television has become,” further stated Gramley.

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