▁a ▁land mark ▁United ▁States ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁decision ▁that ▁defined ▁the ▁power ▁of ▁the ▁Federal ▁Communic ations ▁Commission ▁( F CC ) ▁over ▁inde cent ▁material ▁as ▁applied ▁to ▁broadcast ing . ▁ ▁Fact s ▁ ▁On ▁ 3 0 ▁October ▁ 1 9 7 3 , ▁FM ▁radio ▁station ▁W BA I ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁a ired ▁a ▁broadcast ▁that ▁included ▁a ▁segment ▁which ▁featured ▁the ▁George ▁Car lin ▁routine ▁" Fil thy ▁W ords " ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁program ▁about ▁soci etal ▁att itudes ▁toward ▁language . ▁A ▁few ▁weeks ▁later , ▁John ▁Douglas ▁( an ▁active ▁member ▁of ▁Mor ality ▁in ▁Media ) ▁stated ▁in ▁a ▁compla int ▁file d ▁with ▁the ▁Federal ▁Communic ations ▁Commission ▁( F CC ) ▁that ▁he ▁heard ▁the ▁broadcast ▁while ▁he ▁was ▁driving ▁with ▁his ▁ 1 5 - year - old ▁son . ▁He ▁also ▁stated ▁the ▁material ▁was ▁in app ropri ate ▁for ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁day ▁( appro xim ately ▁ 2 : 0 0   p . m .). ▁In ▁response , ▁Pacific a ▁received ▁a ▁letter ▁of ▁repr im and ▁from ▁the ▁F CC , ▁cens uring ▁them ▁for ▁alleg edly ▁viol ating ▁broadcast ▁reg ulations ▁which ▁prohib ited ▁air ing ▁inde cent ▁material . ▁ ▁Hold ing ▁ ▁The ▁U . S . ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁u ph eld ▁the ▁F CC ' s ▁actions ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 8 , ▁by ▁a ▁vote ▁of ▁ 5 ▁to ▁ 4 , ▁r uling ▁that ▁the ▁routine