WWW- The Federal Communications Commission rejected complaints that the “Will and Grace” television show on NBC and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” formerly on UPN, contained indecent material.

The “Will and Grace” episode on March 31, 2003, contained a scene in which two women kissed and then engaged in suggestive sexual behavior with their clothes on, the nonprofit organization Americans for Decency wrote in its FCC complaint. The agency found the incident wasn’t obscene.

“There is no evidence that the activity depicted was dwelled upon, or was used to pander, titillate or shock the audience,” The FCC said in an e-mail statement.

The FCC currently can assess a fine of $27,500 per incident against broadcasters who air indecent content. The FCC, under pressure from Congress, has been tightening enforcement of indecency rules after Janet Jackson’s breast was bared at the Super Bowl halftime show earlier this year. Both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have passed bills that would raise the maximum fines for indecency.

The “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” show on Nov. 20, 2001, showed the characters Buffy and Spike engaging in sexual intercourse, a separate complaint by the nonprofit Parents Television Council alleged.

Both non-profit groups seek to reduce sex and violence in the media.

The FCC found that the scene showed Buffy kissing and straddling Spike after fighting with him. “We did not find that it’s sufficiently graphic or explicit to be deemed indecent,” the FCC said in its order.

“We’re pleased about the decision by the FCC,” said Gil Schwartz, an executive vice president for UPN and CBS, which are owned by Viacom Inc.

Jamie French, a “Will and Grace” spokeswoman, didn’t respond to a request for comment. NBC is owned by the General Electric Co.

“We were hoping that, with the more recent stance of the FCC, they’d be more responsive to complaints about broadcasting that’s offensive,’ said TC Bundy, a spokesman for Americans for Decency in Phoenix.