The FCC has now decided that the word "fuck" may be appropriate for broadcast television under certain circumstances. If it is used as a verb, it is prohibited. If its variants are used as an adjective, then it is OK. Thus, "fuck you" would not be allowed, while "that's fucking great" would presumably be allowed. (Source - Washington Post)
Note that NYPD Blue, always the leader in this noble cause, has begun airing episodes in which derivations of the word "shit" are used. Once and only once per episode, the show's characters will use the term "bullshit" or "bullshitting".
I recall one incident in which Rush Limbaugh let the word "fuck" slip past the beeper while playing an audio clip from a political speech, only due to poor timing by the man with the button. He simply apologized to anyone who was offended, and moved on.
UPDATE -- This one will have legs. The incomparable Snopes site helps to clarify: the ruling in question involved a decision by the FCC not to fine stations which had permitted an uncensored rendition of Bono's comment "this is fucking great" during the January 2003 Golden Globe awards, finding that the use of the word was "fleeting and isolated" and was not used in a context in which it referred to the sexual act. See also the writeup at the Urban Legends site, which links to the FCC order and other pertinent documents.
I predict that it will not be long before "motherfucker" -- a noun -- is used on NYPD Blue.
11:32:15 PM 
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