The Nipplegate controversy was not reported much here in Australia. I only really know about it from listening to Lewis Black.
What is the legacy of it now. Has it really changed TV in the USA?
Nope.
There were some bib fines levied and a lot of talk, but not much change that I can see on broadcast television. You can be sure that the halftime show of the Super Bowl will be squeaky clean, but that’s about it.
It actually has had a major impact.
The fury the press promoted afterwards got Congress and the FCC all in a tizzy. Fines (large ones) have been handed out left and right for things that most people didn’t notice before. It was the final straw regarding Howard Stern and terrestrial radio.
So networks have cut back considerably on “daring” things. Less nudity and language.
Even worse, Congress recently passed a law allowing the FCC to impose far higher fines for “indecency.”
I, for one, feel safer because of the swift, heavy-handed measures taken by our censoring overlords. (Now please excuse me while I turn on my Sirius Radio).