FCC

In a narrowly decided opinion, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously threw out millions of dollars in fines the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) imposed on broadcasters but did not address the First Amendment implications of the agency's indecency policy.

A Maryland radio station and its parent company was fined $2,000 by the Federal Communications Commission for recording the beginning of a telephone conversation without getting prior permission, even though the recording was never broadcast.

The U.S. Supreme Court weighed arguments Tuesday in a case that challenges the federal government's policy of regulating broadcast indecency, but has the potential to drastically change how the media industry is regulated.

At issue in FCC v. Fox is the Federal Communications Commission's indecency policy, which broadcast television networks claim provides no guidance as to what material is indecent -- making it unclear what is subject to fines and what is not.

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected the concept of corporate personal privacy in its decision today in FCC v. AT&T, Inc. AT&T sued to keep records withheld from disclosure under Exemption 7(c) of the Freedom of Information Act, which protects against the unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. AT&T claimed personal privacy protections extend to corporations. In a unanimous decision, the court held that Exemption 7(c) applied to individuals only.

The U.S. Court of Appeals in New York (2nd Cir.) vacated Tuesday a $1.2 million indecency fine the Federal Communications Commission levied against ABC for nudity in a 2003 episode of “NYPD Blue.”

The decision comes in light of the court’s ruling in Fox Television Stations, Inc. v. FCC last July that the FCC’s indecency policy is “unconstitutionally vague."

The Federal Communications Commission has been exploring ways to reassert its  authority over the Internet after last week's federal appellate court decision cast doubt on whether the commission has the authority to enforce its net neutrality policy.

A federal appeals court ruled today that the Federal Communications Commission does not have the authority to order an Internet service provider to change its management policies.

CBS returned to a Philadelphia appeals court on Tuesday to fight $550,000 in penalties for a 2004 Super Bowl broadcast that showed performer Janet Jackson's breast for nearly a half second, The New York Times reported.

Corporations can have a "personal privacy" interest that can cause their records to be withheld from government release under a Freedom of Information Act request, a federal appellate court found on Sept. 22.