Hastings Communications and Entertainment Law Journal Volume 9 | Number 3 Article 3 1-1-1986 Rock is a Four-Letter Word: The otP ential for FCC Regulation of (Un)Popular Music Alan Jay Lazarus Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.uchastings.edu/ hastings_comm_ent_law_journal Part of the Communications Law Commons, Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law Commons, and the Intellectual Property Law Commons Recommended Citation Alan Jay Lazarus, Rock is a Four-Letter Word: The Potential for FCC Regulation of (Un)Popular Music, 9 Hastings Comm. & Ent. L.J. 423 (1986). Available at: https://repository.uchastings.edu/hastings_comm_ent_law_journal/vol9/iss3/3 This Note is brought to you for free and open access by the Law Journals at UC Hastings Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Hastings Communications and Entertainment Law Journal by an authorized editor of UC Hastings Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. Rock is a Four-Letter Word: The Potential for FCC Regulation of (Un)Popular Music by ALAN JAY LAZARUS* Contents INTRODUCTION ........................................ 424 I. AMERICAN POPULAR MUSIC IN PERSPECTIVE........ 427 A. The Historical Perspective ........................ 427 B. The Modern Perspective and the Current Regulatory Climate ............................... 430 II. THE LEGAL STATUS OF ROCK SPEECH ................. 436 III. FCC AUTHORITY TO REGULATE PROGRAM CONTENT. 439 A. The Foundations of Content Regulation ......... 439 B. Direct Regulation of Program Content .......... 442 C. Indirect Regulation of Program Content ........ 446 D. Informal Regulation of Program Content - Regulation By Lifted Eyebrow ................... 454 1. Topless Radio .................................. 458 2. The Family Viewing Hour .................... 461 3. Drug Lyrics and "Licensee Responsibility".. 465 IV.