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For the second time in two weeks, the Federal Communications Commission has flexed its muscle against local TV stations, levying $1.43 million dollars in indecency fines against 52 ABC affiliates for airing an episode of "NYPD Blue" with female nudity before 10 p.m., on Feb. 25, 2003. All of the stations were in the Central and Mountain time zones.
The network said it will appeal the fine, which would be the second-largest such penalty ever, saying "the FCC's finding is inconsistent with prior precedent from the commission." In the ruling, the commission confesses that it didn't really get many individual complaints, but advocacy groups kept the commission's phones ringing.
http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=2&aid=136607
The network said it will appeal the fine, which would be the second-largest such penalty ever, saying "the FCC's finding is inconsistent with prior precedent from the commission." In the ruling, the commission confesses that it didn't really get many individual complaints, but advocacy groups kept the commission's phones ringing.
http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=2&aid=136607