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 NEWS  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  This  is  an  unofficial  announcement  of  Commission  action.  Release  of  the  full  text  of  a  Commission  order  constitutes  official  action.  See  MCI  v.  FCC.  515  F  2d  385  (D.  C.  Circ  1974).  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  TTY:  1-  888-  835-  5322 
 FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE  NEWS  MEDIA  CONTACT:  March  18,  2004  Janice  Wise  (202)  418-  7450 


 FCC  FINDS  THAT  BROADCAST  OF  “F-  WORD”  DURING  GOLDEN  GLOBE  AWARDS  WAS  INDECENT  AND  PROFANE 
 Washington,  D.  C.:  The  Federal  Communications  Commission  today  issued  an  Order  concluding  that  the  live  broadcast  of  the  phrase  “f***  ing  brilliant,”  spoken  by  Bono  of  U2  during  the  2003 
 Golden  Globe  Awards,  violated  the  statutory  prohibitions  on  indecency  and  profanity. 
 The  Commission  granted  an  Application  for  Review  filed  by  the  Parents  Television  Council  (“  PTC”)  of  an  earlier  Enforcement  Bureau  decision  concerning  the  Golden  Globes  Award 
 broadcast  by  the  National  Broadcasting  Company,  Inc.  (“  NBC”).  That  decision  ruled  that  the  broadcast  had  not  violated  the  indecency  prohibition  because  Bono’s  use  of  the  “F-  word”  had 
 been  fleeting  and  in  a  non-  sexual  context.  The  Commission  overruled  the  Bureau  decision  and  also  concluded  that  other  cases  holding  that  isolated  or  fleeting  use  of  the  “F-  word”  are  not 
 indecent  are  no  longer  good  law.  The  Commission  further  concluded  that  use  of  the  “F-  Word”  in  the  context  of  the  Golden  Globe  Awards  was  profane  under  18  U.  S.  C.  Section  1464. 


 Finally,  the  Commission  emphasized  that  all  broadcast  licensees  are  on  clear  notice  that  similar  broadcasts  in  the  future  will  lead  to  forfeitures  and  potential  license  revocation,  if  appropriate. 
 Action  by  the  Commission  on  March  3,  2004,  by  Memorandum  Opinion  and  Order,  FCC  04-  43.  Chairman  Powell  and  Commissioners  Abernathy  and  Adelstein  issuing  separate  statements; 
 Commissioners  Copps  and  Martin  approving  in  part,  dissenting  in  part  and  issuing  separate  statements. 


 Enforcement  Bureau  Contacts:  Janice  Wise  and  Lisa  Fowlkes  at  (202)  418-  7450. 
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