Examiner.com - NRB & ACLJ file Amicus Briefs for 'FCC v. FOX Television Stations'

September 15, 2011
by Charisse Van Horn, Christian Religious Liberty Examiner

Washington, D.C.

On September 13, 2011, the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB)  announced the filing of an Amicus Brief (“friend of the court”) with the United States Supreme Court regarding the case FCC v. Fox Television Stations.  The following day, the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ),  led by Jay Sekulow also filed an Amicus Brief.  Both organizations have offices in Washington, D.C. and are committed to protecting Christian religious liberty in all forms of societal life, including media.

NRB Senior Vice President & General Counsel Craig Parshall with the assistance of Joseph Chautin and Erin Kube authored the NRB brief, while Jay Sekulow authored the ACLJ filing.  The case FCC v. Fox Television Networks is currently scheduled for the U.S. Supreme Court and challenges the previous ruling that television networks are prohibited from using obscene language (which is described as “fleeting expletives”) during hours that children watch television programming.  The FCC had ruled in favor of banning the offensive language (such as the F-word during times children are awake, etc); but the ruling has been challenged as a threat to the First Amendment right to freedom of speech.  The ACLJ focused on the topic of nudity and indecent exposure in their brief, though the court is set to focus primarily on offensive language.  The NRB focused primarily on freedom of speech as it relates to presenting the Gospel of Jesus Christ in their brief.

It is expected that the U.S. Supreme Court will hear FCC v. Fox Television Stations in winter 2011 with a ruling expected sometime in the spring of 2012.

. . . ACLJ Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow stated, “It may be that TV stations would prefer to cross the lines of decency in a misguided effort to boost ratings and bolster their profits.  But to do so in prime time means sacrificing the protection of children – and adults – from gratuitous assaults on their sensibilities. The First Amendment right to free speech does not include indecent exposure in public settings like this. . . .

The complete story is available here.