FCC Investigating Super Bowl Incident

The FCC is investigating the exposure of one of Janet Jackson’s breast during the Super Bowl halftime show. Commission Chairman Michael Powell said in a statement he was “outraged” by the incident, which fellow singer Justin Timberlake has now apologized for, calling her ripped shirt a “costume malfunction”. At the end of a song, Timberlake reached over and ripped Jackson’s shirt, exposing a breast.
CBS has apologized as well.
Powell stated: “Like millions of Americans, my family and I gathered around the television for a celebration. Instead, that celebration was tainted by a classless, crass and deplorable stunt. Our nation’s children, parents
and citizens deserve better.”
Powell promised the investigation would be “thorough and swift.”
Commissioner Kathleen Abernathy was “shocked and dismayed” and said broadcasters should have more respect for viewers. Fellow Commissioner Michael Copps urged the agency to act quickly.
The incident comes as Congress focuses more sharply on broadcast indecency. A House Telecom Subcommittee held a hearing on TV indecency last week; more hearings are planned.