Saltiness Prompts Delay For MSNBC's 'Morning Joe'

By Eriq Gardner

MSNBC will now be airing its AM show "Morning Joe" with a seven-second delay after host Joe Scarborough delivered the F-word on Monday's program.

The cable network faces little threat of an FCC fine, however. As the Broadcast Law Blog points out, cable television "has not been subject to the same indecency regulation as over-the-air television."

MSNBC's mindfulness illustrates that whatever the Supreme Court decides in the case reviewing fleeting on-air expletives, broadcasters will still exercise restraint on dirty language. Advertising and viewer loyalty still demand discretion.

We've got one request: Can the media retire the tired "F-bomb," please?