United States Second Circuit

Order issuing notices of apparent liability against two of petitioner Fox's broadcasts for violating the respondent FCC's indecency regime is vacated where the new policy sanctioning "fleeting expletives" is arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure Act for failing to articulate a reasoned basis for its change in policy.

Appellate Information

• Decided 06/04/2007
• Published 06/04/2007

Judges

• POOLER, Circuit Judge., Before:  LEVAL, POOLER, and HALL, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Second Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Carter G. Phillips, Sidley Austin LLP, Washington D.C. (R. Clark Wadlow, James P. Young, Jennifer Tatel, David S. Petron, Sidley Austin LLP, Washington D.C. on the brief) for Petitioner Fox Television Stations, Inc. and Intervenor FBC Television Affiliates Association., Ellen S. Agress, Maureen A. O'Connell, Fox Television Stations, New York, NY, for Petitioner Fox Television Stations, Inc., Robert Corn-Revere, Ronald G. London, Amber L. Husbands, David M. Shapiro, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, and Lee Levine, Levine Sullivan Koch & Schulz L.L.P., Washington D.C., for Petitioner/Intervenor  CBS Broadcasting Inc., Miguel A. Estrada, Andrew S. Tulumello, Matthew D. McGill, Travis D. Lenkner, Gibson, Dunn, and Crutcher LLP, Washington D.C.;   Richard Cotton, Susan Weiner, NBC Universal, Inc., New York, NY;  and F. William LeBeau, NBC Universal, Inc. and NBC Telemundo License Co., Washington D.C. for Intervenors NBC Universal, Inc. and NBC Telemundo License Co., Andrew J. Schwartzman, Parul P. Desai, Media Access Project, Washington D.C., for Intervenor Center for Creative Voices in Media., Marjorie Heins, Brennan Center for Justice, Free Expression Policy Project, New York, NY, for Amici Curiae Brennan Center for Justice, American Civil Liberties Union, New York Civil Liberties Union, National Coalition Against Censorship, First Amendment Project, PEN American Center, American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, Writers Guild of America West, Directors Guild of America, Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, Writers Guild of America East, Minnesota Public Radio/American Public Media, National Federation of Community Broadcasters, Film Arts Foundation, Re:New Media, National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture, International Documentary Association, Working Films, and the Creative Coalition in support of Petitioners., John B. Morris, Jr., Sophia Cope, Center for Democracy & Technology and Adam D. Thierer, The Progress & Freedom Foundation, Washington D.C., for Amici Curiae Center for Democracy & Technology and Adam Thierer, Senior Fellow with The Progress & Freedom Foundation (“PFF”) and the Director of PFF's Center for Digital Media Freedom in support of Petitioners., Henry Geller, Washington D.C. and Glen O. Robinson, University of Virginia School of Law, Charlottesville, VA, for Amici Curiae Former FCC Officials in support of Petitioners.


• For Appellees:
  
• Eric D. Miller, Deputy General Counsel, for Samuel L. Feder, General Counsel, Federal Communications Commission, Washington D.C. (Matthew B. Berry, Daniel Armstrong, Jacob M. Lewis, Joseph R. Palmore, Federal Communications Commission and Jeffrey S. Bucholtz, Acting Assistant Attorney General, Thomas M. Bondy, Department of Justice, Washington D.C. on the brief) for Respondents., Robert R. Sparks, Jr., Sparks & Craig, LLP, McLean Virginia for Amicus Curiae Parents Television Council in support of Respondents., Robert W. Peters, Robin S. Whitehead, Morality in Media, Inc., New York, NY, for Amicus Curiae Morality in Media, Inc. in support of Respondents., Thomas B. North, St. Ignace, MI, for Amicus Curiae Thomas B. North, Judge of Probate, Sixth Probate Court of Michigan, in support of Respondents.