Since 1927, federal law has prohibited the broadcast of obscene or indecent material. Today, the ban is part of general federal criminal statutes. FCC enforces by penalizing broadcasters who violate obscenity statutes. In 1975, FCC formulated a definition of indecency to give broadcasters a clearer idea of how it differs from the Miller definition of obscenity. Cable doesn't intrude into the home because people have to subscribe.
Parents have discretion and cable services come with guides that provide information about content.
Communications Decency Act Passed by Congress in 1996. The Supreme Court rejected the Communications Decency Act. The act would unconstitutionally and ineffectively ban a wide variety of protected speech in the democratic, noninvasive and global medium of cyberspace.