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The FCC and Censorship

The FCC expects stations to manifest an awareness of the important problems or issues in the communities they serve by presenting programming and/or announcements about local issues. In the end, though, it is broadcasters and not the FCC (or any other government agency) who are responsible for selecting all the content of their programs. The Communications Act and parts of the U.S. Constitution prohibit the FCC from censoring broadcast content. These considerations limit the FCC’s role in overseeing the content of programming. But the FCC is permitted to levy fines on a station or revoke its license if the station has violated any of the following three considerations:

  1. restrictions on indecent programming
  2. limits on the number of commercials aired during children’s programming
  3. rules involving candidates for public office

Inside The FCC and Censorship