As defined by the FCC and the courts, material is indecent if it "in context depicts or describes sexual or excretory activities or organs in a patently offensive manner as measured by contemporary community standards for the broadcast medium."
While obscene speech has no constitutional protection, indecent speech does. It can be aired from 10 p.m.-6 a.m. -- when few children are in the audience.
FCC chairman Kevin Martin welcomed the new authority.
"Today's vote demonstrates that Congress shares their concern and has a clear desire for a more meaningful enforcement of our decency standard," he said. "The Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act gives the commission more tools to enable parents to watch television and listen to radio as a family." - Billboard Monitor
