NEW YORK, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- Federal lawyers told a U.S. appeals court that Fox was muddying the waters in a case involving penalties for foul language aired during music awards shows.
The Federal Communications Commission suggested to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York via in a brief filed Wednesday that Fox was attempting to "change the subject" in arguing that federal broadcasting rues were vague in regards to profanity.
TVWeek.com said Thursday the FCC called on the court to stick to the specific offenses, which involved some choice words from Cher and Nicole Richie that aired during the Billboard Music Awards shows in 2002 and 2003.
The brief suggested Fox was trying to drag in the larger issue of the ban on obscene language because it had no real defense for the Billboard incidents, and possibly as a "springboard for mounting a wholesale assault on the federal broadcast indecency statute and regulations."
The FCC said the statutes were not among the issues before the court.
