ABC Faces Indecency Fine For 2003 'NYPD Blue' Episode

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 1/26/08 at 10:58am

ABC Faces Indecency Fine For 2003 'NYPD Blue' Episode

By Frank Ahrens
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, January 26, 2008; Page D01

The Federal Communications Commission yesterday proposed a $1.43 million indecency fine against ABC television stations for a 2003 episode of "NYPD Blue," the second-largest proposed indecency fine against a television broadcaster ever.

The agency proposed a $27,500 fine against 52 ABC-owned and affiliate stations in the Central and Mountain time zones, which broadcast the episode before 10 p.m., when the FCC's authority to police the airwaves for indecency expires each day.

The episode in question, aired Feb. 25, 2003, contained a scene featuring a woman and a young boy. In the scene, the woman disrobes in a bathroom. She is shown in full dorsal nudity, and the side of one breast is shown.

Under the FCC's indecency statutes, over-the-air radio and television stations are prohibited from broadcasting "patently offensive" material of a sexual or excretory nature from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., when children are most likely to be watching. ABC stations in the Eastern and Pacific time zones were not fined because the episode appeared after 10 p.m. in those regions. The FCC's indecency statutes do not extend to cable and satellite programming.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/25/AR2008012503137.html

[erikaamato]

Posted: 1/26/08 at 11:43am

Absurd. So, because of a TIME ZONE issue, 5 years later, the FCC is going to impose a fine on ABC for showing the back of a nude female (ooooooh...and the side of a breast!) on a long-canceled show?????

I mean, I'm actually one of those people who can't believe some of the stuff that's allowed in prime time (Family Guy, anyone??? I mean, I think it's funny, but I wouldn't want my kids watching it), but this particular incident doesn't seem to be the battle to choose.

Just my opinion.