C-SPAN Denied Quick Access to Tape of ‘Fleeting Expletives’ Argument

U.S. Supreme Court buffs won’t be able to hear the Supreme Court’s oral arguments in the so-called fleeting expletives case next Tuesday.

Without explanation, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. denied a request by C-SPAN for an immediate release of the tapes, SCOTUSblog reports. That means the audiotapes won’t be released until the end of the court’s term next year, although written transcripts will be available on the same day of argument.

The Supreme Court will consider whether the Federal Communications Commission can fine broadcasters for celebrities’ unscripted use of expletives during live TV appearances. U.S. Supreme Court litigator Carter Phillips plans to use the four-letter F-word during argument Tuesday rather than a euphemism.

C-SPAN had no plans to bleep out the offending word, although it likely would have broadcast a warning, a network spokesman said earlier this week. A higher indecency threshold applies to news broadcasts.