The Wall Street Journal-20080128-FCC Renews Fight Over TV Indecency

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FCC Renews Fight Over TV Indecency

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WASHINGTON -- After a brief lull, the Federal Communications Commission recommenced its battle against provocative television shows late Friday, proposing a $1.43 million fine against Walt Disney Co.'s ABC and its affiliates for a February 2003 episode of "NYPD Blue."

The agency proposed the highest fine possible for that broadcast, which briefly showed the side and back of a naked woman getting into a shower.

Some 52 ABC stations in the Central Standard Time and Mountain Standard Time zones were each assessed a $27,500 fine. ABC's East and West Coast affiliates weren't charged fines, because they broadcast the episode at 10 p.m., after the period for which the FCC can fine stations.

ABC said it hadn't violated federal indecency laws. "ABC feels strongly that the FCC's finding is inconsistent with prior precedent from the Commission," the network said.

In 2005, Congress raised the maximum indecency fine to $325,000.