The following editorial appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer on Tuesday, Nov. 11:

For three decades the Federal Communications Commission has maintained a uniform policy regarding the use of isolated expletives on television.

But a case before the Supreme Court threatens to undo the long-standing policy that has served the public and broadcasters well.

The broader question is whether the FCC’s new policy violates First Amendment free-speech rights by fining broadcasters for an occasional swear word.

The case stems from a string of incidents in which expletives by entertainers Cher, Nicole Ritchie and Bono were broadcast on TV in separate awards programs.

After a U2 song won a Golden Globe, the band’s lead signer, Bono, blurted out “This is really, really f- brilliant!” The FCC declared his remark “shocking and gratuitous” and a threat to “the well-being of the nation’s children.”

Bono has called his word choice “uncool” and said he “blew it.” While the expletive was out of line, it was hardly a major threat to the welfare of the nation’s children. The same goes for the incidents involving Cher and Ritchie.

More recently, Chase Utley let loose an expletive similar to Bono’s that was broadcast during the Phillies World Series celebration. While many fans cheered, it was the wrong time and place for Utley to make such a vulgar comment – given that so many young kids were watching, both live and at home.

The FCC hasn’t taken any action on the Utley incident, but holding the broadcasters liable for such a “fleeting” expletive isn’t the best use of the agency’s time.

The incidents do suggest, however, that the networks and TV stations should do a better job of using video delays to prevent such incidents from occurring again.

In the past, the FCC would overlook when a random expletive was broadcast. But rather than follow the regulations that have been in place for decades, the FCC under Kevin J. Martin, who has been its chairman since 2005, has been arbitrary at best.

The FCC has instead imposed fines based on its own subjective standards, which undercut its decades-long practice.

The FCC fined a public television station in California over a documentary on blues musicians that contained some salty language, but didn’t take action when a vulgar word was uttered by a reality-show contestant on CBS’s “The Early Show.”

During the oral arguments last week, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said the FCC’s policy seems inconsistent. She’s right. That’s why the FCC should revert back to its previous policy, which has worked for decades to provide a fair check and balance.