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Conservatives rap ruling on TV indecency: Rejected policy spurred on by celebrity slip-ups

Conservative groups have blasted a federal court ruling that overturned a policy of the Federal Communications Commission intended to crack down on unscripted curse words and wardrobe malfunctions.

Spurred on by celebrity slipups from Bono and Cher, the 2004 FCC policy had fined television networks that did not censor indecency, however spontaneous. But broadcasting giants like Fox and ABC challenged the “fleeting expletive” rule as they tried to determine where to draw the line in regard to sexual content and controversial language.