Beat on Broadcasting: Free Cursing, Cool?

Remember those “bleep”, “bleep” sounds that you’d hear to censor vulgar language on television broadcasts in the United States? Well, now those ear-pulsing sounds have become a thing of the past.

A US appeals court struck down the Federal Communications Commission’s policy on profane language today. The rule was enacted in 2004, and promised major fines to any broadcasters who let offensive words go uncensored over the air waves.

It will be interesting to see how media outlets react to the change, especially during live broadcasts. Some may throw out the standard “seven second delay” on certain live sporting events, shows like the Oscars, The Academy Awards, and even reality shows like Survivor and Big Brother.  News organizations may also make different choices during live broadcasts, or when airing material that contains profanity. The court ruled that the ban is unconstitutional, citing that the policy had a “chilling effect”, creating an atmosphere of fear among broadcasters. From the various reports I read over today, it seems that most broadcasters applaud the decision.

In a report by the BBC, FCC commissioner Michael Copps is quoted calling the court’s decision “anti-family”,  saying that the commission would “clarify and strengthen its indecency framework”. I also found several editorials online that go back to the question of whether parents should be the censors instead of government, and vice versa.

What do you think? Should profane language be banned on television, or are rules like this out of touch with today’s free-flowing, multi-platform media world? If you live in a country where profanity is not censored on television, what are your thoughts on such a rule?