A US federal appeal court ruled on Monday that the television network CBS could not be held liable for the split-second exposure in 2004 of Janet Jackson’s breast in a “wardrobe malfunction” that caused a public outcry by conservatives and landed the network with a record $550,000 (£275,000, €345,000) indecency fine.

The decision marked a sharp rebuke of the Federal Communications Commission, the media regulator, which has under the administration of George W. Bush taken a hard line against TV indecency, issuing record fines against broadcasters.