A U.S. appeals court says rules that punish broadcasters for accidental use of profanity in live broadcasts may need to be rewritten.
The appeals court Monday told the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reconsider a 2006 indecency rule, which the court called arbitrary and capricious. The judges also said the rules might violate free speech rights.
Fox Broadcasting praised the ruling and said it should be up to viewers to determine which programs are appropriate for them and their families.
The FCC enforced the rule after two U.S. celebrities, Cher and Nicole Richie, used profanity during music award shows broadcast live by Fox in 2002 and 2003.
The FCC might appeal the decision to a higher court.
Some information for this report was provided by AP.
