FCC v. Sanders Brothers Radio Station

Federal Communications Commission v. Sanders Brothers Radio Station, 309 U.S. 470 (1940),[1] was an early precedent on the enforcement of broadcasting law in the United States.In 1936, the Telegraph Herald, a newspaper in Dubuque, Iowa, applied to the FCC for a permit to construct a radio station, along with an allocated frequency on which to broadcast content.Using language from the Communications Act of 1934, the owners of WKBB argued that allowing the Telegraph Herald to build a second station would not serve the public interest, convenience, and necessity for the Dubuque region.It was also noted that the owners of WKBB provided no verifiable evidence of potential economic harm if a competing radio station began operating in the area.Furthermore, the Communications Act did not instruct the FCC to regulate the internal business operations of its licensees, and WKBB's complaint about unfair or damaging competition would instead be a matter for the Interstate Commerce Commission.
Supreme Court of the United StatesSpectrum allocationFederal Communications Commissionpublic interestCharles E. HughesJames C. McReynoldsHarlan F. StoneOwen RobertsHugo BlackStanley F. ReedFelix FrankfurterWilliam O. DouglasFrank MurphyCommunications Act of 1934broadcastingpublic interest, convenience, and necessityTelegraph HeraldDubuque, IowaEast Dubuque, IllinoisDistrict of Columbia Circuit Courtarbitrary and capriciousadministrative lawUnited States Supreme Courtmanaging the use of spectrum frequenciesInterstate Commerce Commissionfree competitionscarcitybroadcastjudicial reviewList of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 309Brendan CarrGeoffrey StarksNathan SimingtonAnna M. GomezChairsEugene O. SykesAnning Smith PrallFrank R. McNinchJames Lawrence FlyE. K. JettPaul A. PorterCharles R. DennyPaul A. WalkerWayne CoyRosel H. HydeGeorge McConnaugheyJohn C. DoerferFrederick W. FordNewton N. MinowE. William HenryDean BurchRichard E. WileyCharles D. FerrisRobert LeeMark S. 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