The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has over ruled its own staff and decided an obscenity for male-female relations violates federal law covering radio and broadcast television.
The FCC announced proposed fines against two companies for decency violations. The commission proposed a fine of $55,000 against Capstar, a subsidiary of Clear Channel Communications, for broadcasts on two of its radio stations.
It also announced fine of $27,500 against Infinity Broadcasting for a broadcast of “The Howard Stern Show” on one of its stations.
The commission also rejected an appeal by Infinity of a $7,000 fine for a broadcast on another station.
The fines continue an FCC crackdown on indecency in recent weeks. On March 12, the FCC announced nine maximum fines totaling $247,500 against Clear Channel for indecency on the “Elliot in the Morning” program on three of its stations.
The maximum FCC penalty for each violation is $27,500, but legislation is moving through Congress that would dramatically increase it.
The House overwhelmingly approved March 11 a bill that would increase that maximum fine to $500,000 per violation.
(BP)
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