Supreme Court To Hear Arguments On Curse Words On TV

November 2, 2008 9:26 a.m. EST

Washington, DC (AHN) - The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on Tuesday about the use of so-called "fleeting expletives" on television and other public airwaves.

The term refers to curse words said during live broadcasts before they can be censored.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) levied heavy fines on television networks when celebrities like Cher, Bono and Nicole Richie used expletives during award shows on separate occasions over the past six years.

The First Amendment advocacy group Media Access Project filed legal briefs on behalf of television networks Fox, NBC, ABC and CBS saying the FCC fines have been inconsistent.

A federal appeals court agreed last year, calling the FCC's fining policy "arbitrary and capricious."

The FCC appealed the case to the Supreme Court seeking to restore its authority to penalize networks airing "indecent speech."