Federal Communications Commission v. Pacifica Foundation - Impact

Federal Communications Commission v. Pacifica Foundation established the principle that indecent, as opposed to obscene, speech that is broadcast on the public airwaves is subject to some degree of regulation. The Court's reliance on the definition of obscenity set forth in Miller v. California solidified the use of that definition in adjudicating First Amendment cases. The problem of determining the exact extent of an individual's freedom of speech remains intractable, as the Court was clear that its decision rested on narrow grounds peculiar to this case, thereby severely constraining the applicability of Federal Communications Commission v. Pacifica Foundation as a legal precedent.