No. 11-1240 In the Supreme Court of the United States FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION AND UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, PETITIONERS v. CBS CORPORATION, ET AL. ON PETITION FOR A WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT PETITION FOR A WRIT OF CERTIORARI DONALD B. VERRILLI, JR. Solicitor General Counsel of Record STUART F. DELERY Acting Assistant Attorney General AUSTIN C. SCHLICK MALCOLM L. STEWART General Counsel Deputy Solicitor General PETER KARANJIA JOSEPH R. PALMORE Deputy General Counsel Assistant to the Solicitor JACOB M. LEWIS General Associate General Counsel THOMAS M. BONDY C. GREY PASH, JR. Attorney Counsel Department of Justice Federal Communications Washington, D.C. 20530-0001 Commission
[email protected] Washington, D.C. 20554 (202) 514-2217 QUESTION PRESENTED Whether the Federal Communications Commission acted arbitrarily and capriciously under the Administra tive Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. 551 et seq., in determining that a widely viewed television broadcast of public nu dity fell within federal prohibitions on broadcast inde cency. (I) PARTIES TO THE PROCEEDING Petitioners are the Federal Communications Com mission and the United States of America. Respondents are CBS Corporation, CBS Broadcast ing, Inc., CBS Television Stations, Inc., CBS Stations Group of Texas L.P., and KUTV Holdings, Inc. (II) TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Opinions below........................................ 1 Jurisdiction........................................... 2 Statutes and regulations involved........................ 2 Statement ............................................ 2 Reasons for granting the petition....................... 13 Conclusion .......................................... 18 Appendix A – Opinion of the court of appeals (Nov. 2, 2011) ........................ 1a Appendix B – Order on reconsideration (May 4, 2006) ...................... 112a Appendix C – Forfeiture order (Feb.