On March 14, 2021, rapper Cardi B. and Megan Thee Stallion performed their hit collaboration "WAP" at the Grammy Awards. The controversial performance aired on CBS and consisted of Cardi B twerking, pole dancing, and engaging with Megan Thee Stallion on an oversized bed in an intimate dance that closely resembled sexual intercourse. The FCC received at least a thousand complaints about the performance, where some people were alleging that the performance represented pornography.

In February 2004, there was another instance where CBS presented a live broadcast of the National Football League's Super Bowl XXXVIII, which included a halftime show produced by MTV Networks. Nearly 90 million viewers watched the Halftime Show, which began at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time and lasted about 15 minutes. The Halftime Show featured a performance with Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake as a "surprise guest" for the final minutes of the show. In September, the Commission issued a Notice of Apparent Liability finding that CBS had apparently violated federal law and FCC rules restricting the broadcast of indecent material and determined that CBS was liable for a forfeiture penalty of $550,000 because its actions were willful.

• Discuss who and what specifically give the FCC its authority to regulate this area.
• Discuss the steps in the rulemaking process.
• Discuss if you thought the FCC should have issued a ruling on the Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion 2021 performance and if they violated federal law and FCC rules.