CBS Battle FCC over Jackson fine
American TV giant CBS is fighting the large fine imposed on 20 of its stations after Janet Jackson's breast exposure during February's Super Bowl, insisting the incident was not intentional.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) levied the maximum penalty for indecency, totalling $500,000 (€385,800), following the public outcry in response to Jackson's unexpected breast flash during her half-time duet with Justin Timberlake.
But while CBS approves the crackdown on indecency and accepts the incident has become a "defining moment" in broadcast history, bosses have staunchly denied the fleeting exposure violated those standards - and they're appealing against the punishment.
They also argued the fine violated the right to free speech and risked the entire future of live television.
A CBS statement says: "Something cannot be 'designed' without advance knowledge.
"If it stands, the (proposed fine) will lead to the end of live broadcasting as we know it by placing broadcasters on notice that they risk massive liability and perhaps license revocation if they fail to adopt technical measures to avoid the possibility of a spontaneous transgression."
