A Guide Through the Legal Jungle Trivia Question
XM Satellite Radio is one of the two satellite radio services in the United States. Satellite radio is pay-for-service radio with
stations accessible nationwide. Think of
it as the radio equivalent of cable television. During its relatively short
corporate history, XM Satellite Radio has confronted a variety of business and
legal challenges. Which one of the
following problems has XM Satellite Radio NOT experienced?
- The music industry sued XM for copyright infringement in connection with XM portable devices, the Inno and Helix, that allow listeners to download songs as they hear them on XM Radio.
- The Federal Communications Commission initiated an investigation of XM in connection with FM transmitters found in XM-compliant devices.
- XM-program providers included ads in their programming even though XM’s entire marketing campaign emphasizes the absence of ads.
- The FCC fined XM $100,000 for indecency in connection with the Howard Stern Show.
The
correct answer is D. XM Satellite has not been fined for indecency
in connection with the Howard Stern Show.
First, the Howard Stern Show is not
on XM Satellite Radio. It’s on Sirius
Radio, the other US satellite radio service (although XM and Sirius may soon merge). Second,
indecency laws apply to over-the-air radio – as in AM and FM radio
stations. On satellite radio, you can be
as indecent as you wanna be.
