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 FEDERAL  COMMUNICATIONS  COMMISSION  DA  03-  3045 
 Before  the  Federal  Communications  Commission 
 Washington,  D.  C.  20554 


 In  the  Matter  of  )  ) 
 COMPLAINTS  AGAINST  VARIOUS  )  File  No.  EB-  03-  IH-  0110  BROADCAST  LICENSEES  ) 
 REGARDING  THEIR  AIRING  OF  )  THE  GOLDEN  GLOBE  AWARDS  ) 
 PROGRAM  1  )  ) 


 MEMORANDUM  OPINION  AND  ORDER 
 Adopted:  October  3,  2003  Released:  October  3,  2003 
 By  the  Chief,  Enforcement  Bureau: 
 I.  INTRODUCTION 
 1.  In  this  Memorandum  Opinion  and  Order,  issued  pursuant  to  Section  0.111(  a)(  7)  of  the  Commissions  rules,  2  we  deny  complaints  received  from  the  Parents  Television  Council  and 
 from  certain  individuals  who  have  alleged  that  various  television  station  licensees  aired  program  material  during  the  Golden  Globe  Awards  program  on  January  19,  2003,  that  violates  the 
 federal  restrictions  regarding  the  broadcast  of  obscene  and  indecent  material.  3 


 II.  BACKGROUND 
 2.  The  complainants  allege  that  the  licensees  named  in  their  respective  complaints  aired  the  Golden  Globe  Awards  program,  during  which  the  performer  Bono  uttered  the  phrase 
 this  is  really,  really,  fucking  brilliant,  or  this  is  fucking  great.  4  The  complainants  contend 
 1  This  Order  denies  234  complaints  that  the  Commission  received  concerning  broadcasts  of  this  program.  Of 
 these,  217  were  from  individuals  associated  with  Parents  Television  Council.  See,  e.  g.,  postcard  complaint  against  Multimedia  Entertainment,  Inc.,  licensee  of  Station  WGRZ-  TV,  Buffalo,  New  York,  from  Marsha  A. 


 Ashton  to  Chief,  Investigations  and  Hearings  Division,  Enforcement  Bureau.  The  Commission  received  multiple  complaints  concerning  some  of  the  stations  that  aired  the  material  at  issue.  A  list  of  the  stations  and 
 licensees  that  are  the  subject  of  the  complaints  is  provided  as  an  appendix  to  this  Order. 
 2  47  C.  F.  R.    0.111(  a)(  7)  (2002). 


 3  See  47  U.  S.  C.    503(  b)  (2002),  18  U.  S.  C.    1464  (2002),  and  47  C.  F.  R.    73.  3999  (2002). 
 4  The  complaints  vary  in  their  characterization  of  Bonos  comments,  and  our  analysis  here  applies  equally  to 
 both  versions. 
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 that  such  material  is  either  obscene  and/  or  indecent,  and  they  request  that  the  Commission  levy  sanctions  against  the  licensees  for  the  broadcast  of  the  subject  material. 
 III.  DISCUSSION 
 3.  The  Federal  Communications  Commission  is  authorized  to  license  radio  and  television  broadcast  stations  and  is  responsible  for  enforcing  the  Commissions  rules  and  applicable 
 statutory  provisions  concerning  the  operation  of  those  stations.  The  Commissions  role  in  overseeing  program  content  is  very  limited.  The  First  Amendment  to  the  United  States  Constitution 
 and  section  326  of  the  Communications  Act  of  1934,  as  amended,  (the  Act)  prohibit  the  Commission  from  censoring  program  material  and  from  interfering  with  broadcasters  freedom  of 
 expression.  5  The  Commission  does,  however,  have  the  authority  to  enforce  statutory  and  regulatory  provisions  restricting  indecency  and  obscenity.  Specifically,  it  is  a  violation  of  federal  law  to 
 broadcast  obscene  or  indecent  programming.  Title  18  of  the  United  States  Code,  Section  1464  prohibits  the  utterance  of  any  obscene,  indecent  or  profane  language  by  means  of  radio 
 communication.  6  In  addition,  section  73.  3999  of  the  Commissions  rules  provides  that  radio  and  television  stations  shall  not  broadcast  obscene  material  at  any  time,  and  shall  not  broadcast  indecent 
 material  during  the  period  6  a.  m.  through  10  p.  m.  7  The  Commission  may  impose  a  monetary  forfeiture,  pursuant  to  Section  503(  b)(  1)  of  the  Act,  8  upon  a  finding  that  a  licensee  has  broadcast 
 indecent  material  in  violation  of  18  U.  S.  C.    1464  and  section  73.3999  of  the  rules. 
 A.  Indecency  Analysis 
 4.  Any  consideration  of  government  action  against  allegedly  indecent  programming  must  take  into  account  the  fact  that  such  speech  is  protected  under  the  First  Amendment.  9  The 
 federal  courts  consistently  have  upheld  Congresss  authority  to  regulate  the  broadcast  of  indecent  speech,  as  well  the  Commissions  interpretation  and  implementation  of  the  governing  statute.  10 
 Nevertheless,  the  First  Amendment  is  a  critical  constitutional  limitation  that  demands  that,  in  indecency  determinations,  we  proceed  cautiously  and  with  appropriate  restraint.  11 


 5  U.  S.  CONST.,  amend.  I;  47  U.  S.  C.    326  (2002). 
 6  18  U.  S.  C.    1464. 
 7  See  47  C.  F.  R.    73.3999. 
 8  See  47  U.  S.  C.    503(  b)(  1). 
 9  U.  S.  CONST.,  amend.  I;  See  Action  for  Childrens  Television  v.  FCC,  852  F.  2d  1332,  1344  (D.  C.  Cir.  1988) 
 (  ACT  I). 
 10  18  U.  S.  C.    1464;  FCC  v.  Pacifica  Foundation,  438  U.  S.  726  (1978).  See  also  ACT  I,  852  F.  2d  at  1339; 
 Action  for  Childrens  Television  v.  FCC,  932  F.  2d  1504,  1508  (D.  C.  Cir.  1991),  cert.  denied,  503  U.  S.  914  (1992)  (  ACT  II);  Action  for  Childrens  Television  v.  FCC,  58  F.  3d  654  (D.  C.  Cir.  1995),  cert.  denied,  516 


 U.  S.  1043  (1996)  (  ACT  III). 
 11  ACT  I,  852  F.  2d  at  1344  (  Broadcast  material  that  is  indecent  but  not  obscene  is  protected  by  the  First 
 Amendment;  the  FCC  may  regulate  such  material  only  with  due  respect  for  the  high  value  our  Constitution  places  on  freedom  and  choice  in  what  people  may  say  and  hear.)  See  also  United  States  v.  Playboy 


 Entertainment  Group,  Inc.,  529  U.  S.  803,  813-  15  (2000). 
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 5.  The  Commission  defines  indecent  speech  as  language  that,  in  context,  12  depicts  or  describes  sexual  or  excretory  activities  or  organs  in  terms  patently  offensive  as  measured  by 
 contemporary  community  standards  for  the  broadcast  medium.  13 
 Indecency  findings  involve  at  least  two  fundamental  determinations.  First,  the  material  alleged  to  be  indecent  must 
 fall  within  the  subject  matter  scope  of  our  indecency  definition  that  is,  the  material  must  describe  or  depict  sexual 
 or  excretory  organs  or  activities.  .  .  .  Second,  the  broadcast  must  be  patently  offensive  as  measured  by  contemporary 
 community  standards  for  the  broadcast  medium.  14 
 As  a  threshold  matter,  the  material  aired  during  the  Golden  Globe  Awards  program  does  not  describe  or  depict  sexual  and  excretory  activities  and  organs.  The  word  fucking  may  be  crude 
 and  offensive,  but,  in  the  context  presented  here,  did  not  describe  sexual  or  excretory  organs  or  activities.  Rather,  the  performer  used  the  word  fucking  as  an  adjective  or  expletive  to 
 emphasize  an  exclamation.  Indeed,  in  similar  circumstances,  we  have  found  that  offensive  language  used  as  an  insult  rather  than  as  a  description  of  sexual  or  excretory  activity  or  organs  is 
 not  within  the  scope  of  the  Commissions  prohibition  of  indecent  program  content.  15 
 6.  Moreover,  we  have  previously  found  that  fleeting  and  isolated  remarks  of  this  nature  do  not  warrant  Commission  action.  16  Thus,  because  the  complained-  of  material  does  not 


 fall  within  the  scope  of  the  Commissions  indecency  prohibition,  we  reject  the  claims  that  this  program  content  is  indecent,  and  we  need  not  reach  the  second  element  of  the  indecency  analysis. 


 B.  Obscenity  Analysis 
 12  The  use  of  specific  potentially  offensive  words  is  not  in  and  of  itself  indecent.  Industry  Guidance  on  the 
 Commissions  Case  Law  Interpreting  18  U.  S.  C.  1464  and  Enforcement  Policies  Regarding  Broadcast  Indecency  (  Indecency  Policy  Statement),  16  FCC  Rcd  7999,  8002  9  (  In  determining  whether  material  is 


 patently  offensive,  the  full  context  is  critically  important.  It  is  not  sufficient  to  know  that  explicit  sexual  terms  or  descriptions  were  used,  citing  WPBN/  WTOM  License  Subsidiary,  Inc.,  15  FCC  Rcd  1838,  1841  (2000), 
 Infinity  Broadcasting  Corp.,  3  FCC  Rcd  930,  931-  32  (1987),  affd  in  part,  vacated  in  part,  remanded  sub  nom  ACT  I,  852  F.  2d  1332  (D.  C.  Cir.  1988)(  subsequent  history  omitted).  See  Peter  Branton,  6  FCC  Rcd  610 
 (1991)(  subsequent  history  omitted)(  no  language  is  per  se  indecent). 
 13  Infinity  Broadcasting  Corporation  of  Pennsylvania,  2  FCC  Rcd  2705  (1987)(  subsequent  history 
 omitted)(  citing  Pacifica  Foundation,  56  FCC  2d  94,  98  (1975),  affd  sub  nom.  FCC  v.  Pacifica  Foundation,  438  U.  S.  726  (1978)). 


 14  Indecency  Policy  Statement,  16  FCC  Rcd  7999,  8002    7-  8  (2001)  (emphasis  in  original). 
 15  Id.  See,  e.  g.,  Entercom  Buffalo  License,  LLC  (WGR(  AM)),  17  FCC  Rcd  11997,  11999-  12000    7,  9-  10 
 (EB  2002).  See  also,  Peter  Branton,  6  FCC  Rcd  at  610. 
 16  See,  e.  g.,  L.  M.  Communications  of  South  Carolina,  Inc.  (WYBB(  FM)),  7  FCC  Rcd  1595  (MMB  1992)(  a 
 fleeting  and  isolated  utterance  ([  t]  he  hell  I  did,  I  drove  the  mother-  fucker)  within  the  context  of  live  and  spontaneous  programming  not  actionable).  See  also  Industry  Guidance  On  the  Commissions  Case  Law 


 Interpreting  18  U.  S.  C.    1464  and  Enforcement  Policies  Regarding  Broadcast  Indecency,  16  FCC  Rcd  7999,  8008-  09  18  (2001). 
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 6.  To  be  obscene,  material  must  meet  a  three-  prong  test:  (1)  the  average  person,  applying  contemporary  community  standards,  must  find  that  the  material,  as  a  whole,  appeals  to  the 
 prurient  interest;  (2)  the  material  must  depict  or  describe,  in  a  patently  offensive  way,  sexual  conduct  specifically  defined  by  applicable  law;  and  (3)  the  material,  taken  as  a  whole,  must  lack 
 serious  literary,  artistic,  political  or  scientific  value.  17  Applying  that  test,  we  find  that  the  material  broadcast  during  the  Golden  Globe  Awards  program  was  not  obscene.  The  use  of  specific  words, 
 including  expletives  or  other  four  letter  words  does  not  render  material  obscene.  18  Moreover,  the  complained-  of  material  does  not  depict  or  describe  sexual  conduct  and  thus  does  not  meet  the 
 obscenity  standard  under  Miller  v.  California.  19  Because  the  broadcast  does  not  meet  the  obscenity  standard  under  Miller,  we  deny  the  complaints  alleging  that  the  broadcast  was  obscene. 


 IV.  CONCLUSION 
 7.  In  view  of  the  foregoing,  we  conclude  that  the  various  licensees  that  aired  the  Golden  Globe  Awards  program  on  January  19,  2003,  did  not  violate  the  law,  and,  therefore,  no 
 action  is  warranted. 


 V.  ORDERING  CLAUSES 
 8.  Accordingly,  IT  IS  ORDERED,  pursuant  to  Section  0.111(  a)(  7)  of  the  Commissions  rules,  47  C.  F.  R.    0.111(  a)(  7),  that  the  complaints  filed  against  the  broadcasts  of 
 the  Golden  Globe  Awards  program  on  January  19,  2003,  by  the  licensees  listed  in  the  attached  appendix  are  hereby  DENIED. 


 9.  IT  IS  FURTHER  ORDERED,  that  a  copy  of  this  Memorandum  Opinion  and  Order  shall  be  sent  by  Certified  Mail  Return  Receipt  Requested  to  The  Parents  Television 
 Council,  707  Wilshire  Boulevard,  Los  Angeles,  California  90017. 
 FEDERAL  COMMUNICATIONS  COMMISSION 


 David  H.  Solomon  Chief,  Enforcement  Bureau 


 17  See  Miller  v.  California,  413  U.  S.  15,  24  (1973). 
 18  See  WGBH  Educational  Foundation  (WGBH-  TV),  69  FCC  2d  1250,  1253-  54  (1978)(  offensive  language, 
 including  expletives,  does  not  fit  within  the  established  definition  of  obscenity). 
 19  See  Miller  v.  California,  413  U.  S.  at  18-  19,  24. 
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 APPENDIX 
 CALL  SIGN  COMMUNITY  OF  LICENSE  LICENSEE 
 KALB-  TV  Alexandria,  LA  Media  General  Communications,  Inc. 
 KARE(  TV)  Minneapolis,  MN  Multimedia  Holdings  Corp. 
 KARK-  TV  Little  Rock,  AR  KARK-  TV,  Inc.  KATV(  TV)  Little  Rock,  AR  KATV,  LLC 
 KBTV-  TV  Port  Arthur,  TX  Nexstar  Broadcast  of  Beaumont/  Port 
 Arthur,  L.  L.  C.  KCBD(  TV)  Lubbock,  TX  LIBCO,  Inc. 
 KCEN-  TV  Temple,  TX  Channel  6,  Inc.  KCNC-  TV  Denver,  CO  CBS  Television 
 Stations  Inc.  KCRA-  TV  Sacramento,  CA  KCRA  Hearst-  Argyle 
 Television,  Inc.  KETK-  TV  Jacksonville,  TX  KETK  Licensee  L.  P. 
 KFDM-  TV  Beaumont,  TX  Freedom  Broadcasting  of  Texas,  Inc. 
 KFOR-  TV  Oklahoma  City,  OK  New  York  Times  Management  Services 
 KGW(  TV)  Portland,  OR  King  Broadcasting  Company 
 KHAS-  TV  Hastings,  NE  Greater  Nebraska  Television,  Inc.. 
 KING-  TV  Seattle,  WA  King  Broadcasting  Company 
 KKCO(  TV)  Grand  Junction,  CO  Eagle  III  Broadcasting,  LLC 
 KNBC(  TV)  Los  Angeles,  CA  NBC  Subsidiary  (KNBC-  TV),  Inc. 
 KNSD(  TV)  San  Diego,  CA  Station  Venture  Operations,  LP 
 KOAA-  TV  Pueblo,  CO  Sangre  De  Cristo  Communications,  Inc. 
 KOB-  TV  Albuquerque,  NM  KOB-  TV,  LLC  KPNX(  TV)  Mesa,  AZ  Multimedia  Holdings 
 Corporation  KPRC-  TV  Houston,  TX  Post-  Newsweek 
 Stations,  Houston,  LP  KRBC-  TV  Abilene,  TX  Mission  Broadcasting, 
 Inc.  KRIS-  TV  Corpus  Christi,  TX  KVOA 
 Communications,  Inc.  KTGF(  TV)  Great  Falls,  MT  MMM  License  LLC 
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 KWBW(  TV)  Salinas,  CA  Hearst-  Argyle  Stations,  Inc. 
 KSDK(  TV)  St.  Louis,  MO  Multimedia  KSDK,  Inc. 
 KSHB-  TV  Kansas  City,  MO  Scripps  Howard  Broadcasting 
 Company  KSNF(  TV)  Joplin,  MO  Nexstar  Broadcasting 
 of  Joplin,  L.  L.  C.  KTEN(  TV)  Ada,  OK  Channel  49 
 Acquisition  Corp.  KTIV(  TV)  Sioux  City,  IA  KTIV  Television,  Inc. 
 KUSA-  TV  Denver,  CO  Multimedia  Holdings  Corp. 
 KWES-  TV  Odessa,  TX  Midessa  Television  Company 
 KWWL(  TV)  Waterloo,  IA  Raycom  America,  Inc.  KXAS-  TV  Fort  Worth,  TX  Station  Venture 
 Operations,  LP  KYTV(  TV)  Springfield,  MO  KY3,  Inc. 
 WANE-  TV  Fort  Wayne,  IN  Indiana  Broadcasting,  LLC 
 WAVE(  TV)  Louisville,  KY  LIBCO,  Inc.  WBBH-  TV  Fort  Myers,  FL  Waterman 
 Broadcasting  Corp.  of  Florida 
 WBOY-  TV  Clarksburg,  WV  West  Virginia  Media  Holdings,  LLC 
 WBRE-  TV  Wilkes-  Barre,  PA  Nexstar  Broadcasting  of  Northeastern 
 Pennsylvania,  L.  L.  C.  WCAU(  TV)  Philadelphia,  PA  NBC  Subsidiary 
 (WCAU-  TV),  L.  P.  WCNC-  TV  Charlotte,  NC  WCNC-  TV,  Inc. 
 WCSH(  TV)  Portland,  ME  Pacific  and  Southern  Company,  Inc. 
 WCYB-  TV  Bristol,  VA  Appalachian  Broadcasting  Corp. 
 WDIV-  TV  Detroit,  MI  Post-  Newsweek  Stations,  Michigan, 
 Inc.  WDSU(  TV)  New  Orleans,  LA  New  Orleans  Hearst-Argyle 
 Television,  Inc. 
 WESH(  TV)  Daytona  Beach,  FL  Orlando  Hearst-Argyle  Television, 
 Inc.  WFIE(  TV)  Evansville,  IN  LIBCO,  Inc. 
 WFLA-  TV  Tampa,  FL  Media  General  Communications,  Inc. 
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 WFMJ-  TV  Youngstown,  OH  WFMJ  Television,  Inc. 
 WGAL(  TV)  Lancaster,  PA  WGAL  Hearst-  Argyle  Television,  Inc. 
 WHDH-  TV  Boston,  MA  WHDH-  TV  WHGH-  TV  Thomasville,  GA  H.  G.  H.  Investment 
 Corp.  WHEC-  TV  Rochester,  NY  WHEC-  TV,  LLC 
 WHO-  TV  Des  Moines,  IA  New  York  Times  Management  Services 
 WILX-  TV  Onondaga,  MI  Gray  Midamerica  TV  Licensee  Corp. 
 WJAR(  TV)  Providence,  RI  Outlet  Broadcasting,  Inc. 
 WJFW-  TV  Rhinelander,  WI  Northland  Television,  Inc. 
 WKYC-  TV  Cleveland,  OH  WKYC-  TV,  Inc.  WLWT(  TV)  Cincinnati,  OH  Ohio/  Oklahoma 
 Hearst-  Argyle  TV,  Inc. 
 WMAQ-  TV  Chicago,  IL  NBC  Subsidiary  (WMAQ-  TV),  Inc. 
 WMC-  TV  Memphis,  TN  Raycom  America,  Inc.  WMFE-  TV  Orlando,  FL  Community 
 Communications,  Inc.  WMGT(  TV)  Stillwater,  MN  Endurance 
 Broadcasting,  LLC  WMTV(  TV)  Madison,  WI  Gray  Midamerica  TV 
 Licensee  Corp.  WNBC(  TV)  New  York,  NY  National  Broadcasting 
 Company,  Inc.  WNDU-  TV  South  Bend,  IN  Michiana  Telecasting 
 Corp.  WNYT(  TV)  Albany,  NY  WNYT-  TV,  LLC 
 WOAI-  TV  San  Antonio,  TX  CCB  Texas  Licenses,  L.  P. 
 WOOD-  TV  Grand  Rapids,  MI  WOOD  License  Company,  LLC 
 WOWT-  TV  Omaha,  NE  Gray  Midamerica  TV  Licensee  Corp. 
 WPMI(  TV)  Mobile,  AL  Clear  Channel  Broadcasting 
 Licenses,  Inc.  WPXI(  TV)  Pittsburgh,  PA  WPXI-  TV  Holdings, 
 Inc.  WRC-  TV  Washington,  DC  NBC  Subsidiary 
 (WRC-  TV),  Inc.  WRCB-  TV  Chattanooga,  TN  Sarkes  Tarzian,  Inc. 
 WRIC-  TV  Petersburg,  VA  Young  Broadcasting  of  Richmond,  Inc. 
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 WSAV-  TV  Savannah,  GA  Media  General  Communications,  Inc. 
 WSAZ-  TV  Huntington,  WV  Emmis  Television  License  Corp. 
 WSFA(  TV)  Montgomery,  AL  Libco,  Inc.  WSMV-  TV  Nashville,  TN  Meredith  Corp. 
 WTHR(  TV)  Indianapolis,  IN  Videoindiana,  Inc.  WTMJ-  TV  Milwaukee,  WI  Journal  Broadcast 
 Corp.  WTVY(  TV)  Dothan,  AL  Gray  Midamerica  TV 
 Licensee  Corp.  WVLA(  TV)  Baton  Rouge,  LA  Knight  Broadcasting 
 of  Baton  Rouge  Lic.  Corp. 
 WVTM-  TV  Birmingham,  AL  Birmingham  Broadcasting  (WVTM 
 TV),  Inc.  WWBT(  TV)  Richmond,  VA  Jefferson-  Pilot 
 Communications  Company  of  Virginia 
 WWLP(  TV)  Springfield,  MA  WWLP  Broadcasting,  LLC 
 WXIA-  TV  Atlanta,  GA  Gannett  Georgia,  L.  P.  WYFF(  TV)  Greenville,  SC  WYFF  Hearst-  Argyle 
 Television,  Inc. 
8