Legal Research

Howard Stern Takes the First Amendment Into Orbit

By turquhart

In a few weeks, Howard Stern will be joining Sirius, a satellite radio company, which is "betting $500 million (and, probably, its future) on Howard; it's given him two entire channels." With the number of Stern listeners surpassing the number of satellite radio subscribers, his induction into this new mass medium "could be a momentum changer for Sirius."

Michael C. Dorf provides commentary on the latest First Amendment issues Stern's "unique brand of narcissistic pre-adolescent" shock jock talk will likely elicit now that he will be in space, "where the FCC's regulation of 'indecency' does not currently reach."

A list of FAQ's, which include FCC definitions of what makes material "obscene" and "indecent," provides information on how the government enforces the law regarding broadcasts during certain hours, while at the same time, "is careful of First Amendment protections and the prohibitions on censorship and interference with broadcasters' freedom of speech."

New York magazine offers a profile of "Howard Stern in Space."

Posted by Toni Urquhart

Full post as published by FSU College of Law Library Blog on December 20, 2005 (boomark / email).