The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is fining ABC $27,500 for each of the 52 stations in the Mountain and Central time zones that aired an episode of NYPD Blue in February 2003 that showed “a woman’s nude buttocks.” Added up, the fine is $1.43 million (or $715,000 per cheek).
“Although ABC argues, without citing any authority, that the buttocks are not a sexual organ, we reject this argument, which runs counter to both case law and common sense,” the FCC said in its complaint.
For 2003, this was the highest possible fine the FCC could impose on a network. Had the episode aired after Congress raised the maximum fine to $325,000, however, the network could have faced $16.9 million.
The WSJ reports that FCC commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate released a statement that indicated her desire for a higher fine. “Our action today should serve as a reminder to all broadcasters that Congress and American families continue to be concerned about protecting children from harmful material and that the FCC will enforce the laws of the land vigilantly,” she wrote.
As a mom, I will admit that I wake each morning and worry about things that could potentially harm my children. I worry about the national deficit. I worry about war. I worry about the food supply. I worry about the cost of health care. I worry about crazy people who do crazy things. Not once have I ever considered “viewing a woman’s nude buttocks” for placement on my worry list.
As a parent and a tax paying citizen, what I find most obscene about the nude buttocks is the fact that my money is being used to prosecute a broadcasting company for showing them. I know for a fact that our government has much more important things to be doing.
Four networks — NBC, CBS, FOX and ABC — along with local station owners will challenge the FCC’s actions in federal court. Here’s hoping they win.
