Legal Opinion
Federal Communications Commission v. Pacifica Foundation
Supreme Court of the United States
Decided October 2, 1978No. 77-528PublishedCited by 713 opinions
1Opinion of the CourtJustice Stevens, joined by The Chief Justice and Justice Rehnquist
This case requires that we decide whether the Federal Communications Commission has any power to regulate a radio broadcast that is indecent but not obscene.
A satiric humorist named George Carlin recorded a 12-minute monologue entitled “Filthy Words” before a live audience in a California theater. He began by referring to his thoughts about “the words you couldn’t say on the public, ah, airwaves, um, the ones you definitely wouldn’t say, ever.” He proceeded to list those words and repeat them over and over again in a variety of colloquialisms. The transcript of the recording, which is…
2Cases cited45 opinions
- New York Times Co. v. SullivanSupreme Court of the United States · 1964
- Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc.Supreme Court of the United States · 1974
- Broadrick v. OklahomaSupreme Court of the United States · 1973
- Roth v. United StatesSupreme Court of the United States · 1957
- Village of Euclid v. Ambler Realty Co.Supreme Court of the United States · 1926
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3Cited by713 opinions
- New York v. FerberSupreme Court of the United States · 1982
- R. A. v. v. City of St. PaulSupreme Court of the United States · 1992
- Texas v. JohnsonSupreme Court of the United States · 1989
- Maryland v. CraigSupreme Court of the United States · 1990
- Federal Communications Commission v. Fox Television Stations, Inc.Supreme Court of the United States · 2009
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