Yesterday the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York ruled that the Federal Communications Commission's indecency policy is unconstitutional and too vague, "creating a chilling effect that goes far beyond the fleeting expletives at issue here."

The broadcast networks were united in challenging FCC fines of so-called fleeting expletives uttered by celebrities during various live awards show broadcasts over the past decade.

The agency had let such instances slide in the past, but it began cracking down on indecency in the wake of Janet Jackson's scandalous breast baring during the Super Bowl halftime show in 2004.

The networks had argued that the FCC was using an "arbitrary and capricious" standard in doing so, because it has not spelled out to broadcasters what exactly constitutes indecency, instead deciding on a case-by-case basis.