Federal Communications Commission v. Pacifica Foundation

Federal Communications Commission v. Pacifica Foundation (1978) was a Supreme Court case addressing whether the government can regulate indecent content on public airwaves. The FCC warned a radio station after broadcasting George Carlin’s "Filthy Words" monologue, which contained explicit language. The Court ruled that the government could restrict certain indecent speech on public broadcasts to prevent offensive material from reaching children, balancing free speech rights with the need to protect the public. This case established that some regulation of offensive content is permissible on publicly accessible radio and TV, but only within certain limits to avoid infringing on free speech rights.