FCC Indecency Fines, 1970-2004
Editor's Note: The following material contains language some readers may find objectionable.
Fines are ordered chronologically within each FCC chairman's tenure according to the date they were proposed by the Federal Communications Commission.| Case name | Chairman | Airdate | Description | Date fine proposed | Date fine | Months from airdate to release of proposed fine | Original | Final | Final date | Fine paid | Notes |
| WUHY/Eastern Education Radio | Dean Burch (R) | Jan. 4, | "Grateful Dead" frontman Jerry Garcia utters string of profanities. | April 1, | April 1, | 2 | $100 | No record | No record | No record | |
| WGLD/Sonderling | Dean Burch (R) | Feb. 21, | Talk show discusses oral sex. | April 11, | 1 | $2,000 | No record | No record | No record | ||
| WBAI/Pacifica Broadcasting | Richard Wiley (R) | Oct. 30, | George Carlin's famous "Seven Dirty Words." | Feb. 12, | April 21, | 17 | $0 | N/A | N/A | $0 | No fine proposed |
| WXPN/University of | Richard Wiley (R) | Jan. 20, | Profanity-filled sex talk show discusses incest. | Dec. 4, | Dec. 4, | 10 | $2,000 | No record | No record | No record | |
| KZKC-TV/Kansas City | Dennis R. Patrick (R) | May 26, | Talk show discusses R-rated film "Private Lessons." | June 23, | June 23, | 13 | $2,000 | Cancelled | Sept. 6, | ||
| Great American Television | Alfred C. Sikes (R) | June 1, | Sexual double-entendre with Bob and Tom Show. | July 19, | Oct. 29, | 37 | $10,000 | Paid | Sept. 19, | $10,000 | |
| Evergreen Media/WLUP | Alfred C. Sikes (R) | Aug. 19, | Shock jocks Steve Dahl, Garry Meier play "Kiddie Porn" song. | Nov. 30, | Nov. 30, | 27 | $6,000 | Referred to Justice Dept. | Dec. 17, | $0 | |
| Pacific and Southern Co./KSD | Alfred C. Sikes (R) | Sept. 28, | Excerpts from Playboy account of Jessica Hahn's rape charge against televangelist Jim Bakker. | Sept. 27, | Oct. 29, | 35 | $2,000 | Paid | Oct. 1, | $2,000 | |
| Guy Gannett Publishing Co./WZTA | Alfred C. Sikes (R) | Oct. 27, | Station plays "Penis Envy" song. | Oct. 26, | Oct. 26, | 23 | $2,000 | Paid | Feb. 19, | $2,000 | |
| WLLZ/Legacy Broadcasting | Alfred C. Sikes (R) | Jan. 21, | Show plays parody song "Walk with an Erection." | Sept. 29, | Sept. 29, | 20 | $2,000 | Paid | Oct. 4, | $2,000 | |
| Case name | Chairman | Airdate | Description | Date fine proposed | Date fine | Months from airdate to release of proposed fine | Original | Final | Final date | Fine paid | Notes |
| Nationwide Communications Inc./KLUC | Alfred C. Sikes (R) | May 16, | Station plays Prince's " | April 19, | Oct. 26, | 17 | $2,000 | Paid | April 19, | $2,000 | |
| KFI Inc./KFI | Alfred C. Sikes (R) | Nov. 12, | Several broadcasts with shock jock Tom Leykis, including one on zoophilia. | Oct. 26, | Oct. 26, | 11 | $6,000 | Paid | Nov. 29, | $6,000 | |
| Mel Karmazin/Infinity Broadcasting/ | Alfred C. Sikes (R) | Dec. 16, | Gay sex talk; guest plays keyboard with penis. | Nov. 29, | Dec. 7, | 23 | $6,000 | Paid | Sept. 5, | Paid | |
| Narragansett Broadcasting | Alfred C. Sikes (R) | Oct. 1, | Perry Stone show employs sexual humor. | June 18, | June 26, | 8 | $20,000 | Paid | July 9, | $20,000 | |
| Independent Group Limited | Alfred C. Sikes (R) | June 15, | Gary Dee show employs sexual humor. | April 25, | Oct. 26, | 10 | $8,000 | Paid | April 26, | $8,000 | |
| Goodrich Broadcasting Inc./WVIC | Alfred C. Sikes (R) | Sept. 27, | Discussion about a man who purportedly had a testicle trapped in a hot tub drain. | April 7, | April 23, | 18 | $2,000 | Referred to Justice Dept. | Nov. 30, | $0 | Closed June 13, |
| Sound Broadcasting Corp./KCNA | Alfred C. Sikes (R) | Nov. 17, | Caller uses multiple profanities; hosts make gay jokes, including one regarding Liberace. | April 17, | April 23, | 17 | $4,000 | Rescinded | May 5, | $0 | |
| KGB Inc./KGB | Alfred C. Sikes (R) | Feb. 1, | Morning show plays Monty Python song "Sit on My Face." | May 26, | 27 | $12,500 | Paid | Sept. 11, | $9,200 | ||
| Rusk Corp./KLOL | Alfred C. Sikes (R) | Feb. 5, | Sex discussion with Stevens and Pruett. | Oct. 18, | Oct. 29, | 8 | $6,000 | Paid | Oct. 22, | $6,000 | |
| Case name | Chairman | Airdate | Description | Date fine proposed | Date fine | Months from airdate to release of proposed fine | Original | Final | Final date | Fine paid | Notes |
| L.M. Communications of | Alfred C. Sikes (R) | Aug. 8, | The Morning Show uses excretory profanity. | Feb. 14, | Feb. 24, | 18 | $3,750 | Dismissed | Nov. 25, | $0 | |
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| Alfred C. Sikes (R) | Aug. 20, | Discussion of fellatio. | July 29, | 11 | $25,000 | Paid | April 12, | $25,000 | ||
| Greater | Alfred C. Sikes (R) | Oct. 1, | Numerous Howard Stern broadcasts, including discussion of the arrest for indecent exposure of actor Paul Reubens (aka Pee Wee Herman). | Oct. 27, | 12 | $105,000 | Paid | March 17, | $105,000 | Paid as part of settlement | |
| Mel Karmazin, Sagittarius Broadcasting | Alfred C. Sikes (R) | Oct. 1, | Numerous Howard Stern broadcasts, including discussion of the arrest for indecent exposure of actor Paul Rubens (aka Pee Wee Herman). | Oct. 27, | Dec. 18, | 12 | $600,000 | Paid | Sept. 5, | $600,000 | Paid as part of settlement |
| State | Alfred C. Sikes (R) | June 21, | Station plays rap song containing profanities and graphic sexual imagery. | Jan. 7, | 6 | $23,750 | Paid | March 19, | $23,750 | ||
| Evergreen Media, WLUP(AM) | James H. Quello (D) | Jan. 13, | Shock jocks Steve Dahl and Garry Meier discuss penis size. | Feb. 25, | 25 | $33,750 | Paid | March 17, | $10,000 | Paid as part of 1994 settlement | |
| The Rusk Corp., KLOL(FM) | James H. Quello (D) | March 14, | Discussion of penis size. | May 6, | 25 | $33,750 | Paid | May 26, | $33,750 | ||
| Mel Karmazin/Infinity Broadcasting & | James H. Quello (D) | Nov. 10, | Howard Stern discusses size of actor Richard Gere's penis, among other sexual matters. | Aug. 12, | 9 | $500,000 | Paid | Sept. 5, | $500,000 | Paid as part of settlement | |
| Americom | James H. Quello (D) | Nov. 10, | Howard Stern discusses size of actor Richard Gere's penis, among other sexual matters. | Aug. 12, | 9 | $73,750 | Rescinded | July 26, | $0 | ||
| Case name | Chairman | Airdate | Description | Date fine proposed | Date fine | Months from airdate to release of proposed fine | Original | Final | Final date | Fine paid | Notes |
| WCKS Broadcasters/WCKS | Reed E. Hundt (D) | April 10, | Station's promos invoke shrunken testicles: "Z-93 -- We keep it harder, longer." | Sept. 7, | Sept. 14, | 40 | $4,000 | Paid | $4,000 | ||
| Flambo Broadcasting/KFMH | Reed E. Hundt (D) | Aug. 30, | Jokes involving fellatio and pedophilia. | March 25, | April 1, | 30 | $12,500 | Rescinded | July 27, | $0 | |
| Agape Broadcasting/KNON | Reed E. Hundt (D) | July 12, | Station plays song "I Want to be a Homosexual." | March 25, | April 1, | 20 | $12,500 | Paid | Feb. 24, | $2,000 | Reduced to $2,000 in |
| Grant Broadcasting/ | Reed E. Hundt (D) | July 24, | Broadcast of profanity-filled movie dialogue. |