US television network ABC may have to pay a fine of $1.4m (£707,000) for airing an episode of NYPD Blue which depicted female nudity.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said the 2003 show had "multiple, close-up views" of a woman's buttocks before the US watershed.
The FCC deems "sexual or excretory activities" shown in an "offensive" way before 2200 as indecent.
ABC has rejected the claims, saying the buttocks are not a sexual organ.
The proposed penalty has been imposed on all 52 of ABC's stations who broadcast the episode.
Indecency battle
The scene in the police drama, which ran from 1993-2005, shows a boy surprising a naked woman as she prepared to take a shower.
The FCC said it received several complaints about the sequence, which also showed one of the woman's breasts.
An ABC spokeswoman said that the programme was broadcast with parental warnings and that "the realistic nature of NYPD Blue's storylines was well-known to the viewing public".
The broadcaster has said it will appeal against the decision, which is the second largest indecency fine imposed on a broadcaster.
In 2006, the FCC imposed a $3.6m (£1.8m) against CBS for an episode of Without A Trace, which was settled for $300,000 (£152,000).
The FCC has waged a battle against TV indecency in recent years, with the US authorising a huge increase in fines.
Janet Jackson's breast exposure during the 2004 Super Bowl on live TV prompted the organisation to impose a fine of $550,000 (£278,000) on 20 CBS-owned TV stations.
The network has been embroiled in a long-running court battle against the penalty.
BBC NEWS | Entertainment | US network faces $1m nudity fine
Note: Seems a little bit silly to me, when anyone can pic up virtually any magazine and see nudity to one degree or another, open a browser window and with the simple click of a button be faced with all kinds of sexual activity without having to verify age or anything. Talk about antiquated systems still being in place that could do with being scrapped and done again from scratch. I mean, you only have to put any news porgram on the TV to see images and hear stories that are far far worse than seeing a bare ass... Thank gawd TF aint governed by such strict laws, otherwise i'd have not been able to attach pictures of the offending buttocks for your viewing pleasure...