M. Goldseker Real Estate Co. v. Federal Communications Commission
M. Goldseker Real Estate Co. v. Federal Communications Commission
Opinion of the Court
Between November 19, and December 18, 1970, the television station WJZ-TV of Baltimore, as a part of its daily news programs, broadcast a series of reports on housing problems in Baltimore. The reports were critical of the practices of a number of real estate operators, the largest of whom was the petitioner, and certain named savings and loan associations. The petitioner, which was identified by name in the series, took the position it was personally attacked during the series and, contending that it had been denied adequate right of reply, as provided in Section 73.679 of the rules promulgated by the Federal Communications Commission, filed a complaint with the Commission against the television licensee. From a dismissal of the complaint, the petitioner appeals to this Court, as authorized by Section 402(a), 47 U.S.C., and asks reversal of the decision of the Commission. We affirm.
The regulation, upon which petitioner bases its right of reply, imposes a duty on a broadcaster to offer an opportunity of response to any one whose “honesty, character, integrity or like personal qualities” are attacked “during the presentation of views on a controversial issue of public importance * *
In keeping with this policy, the Commission, when reviewing a complaint under the Personal Attack or Fairness Rule, “does not substitute its judgment for that of the licensee but rather determines whether the licensee has acted reasonably and in good faith. Ibid. Likewise a court’s role is limited to deciding whether the Commission’s order is unreasonable or in contravention of statutory purpose. In making such a determination a court 'is not at liberty to substitute its own discretion for that of administrative officers who have kept within the bounds of their administrative powers.’ ” Neckritz v. F.C.C. (9th Cir. 1971) 446 F.2d 501, 502-503; McCarthy v. F.C.C. (1968) 129 U.S.App.D. C. 56, 390 F.2d 471, 474. In short, the sole issue in this appeal is whether the decision of the Commission in dismissing the complaint of the petitioner was unreasonable.
We have no difficulty in concluding from the record herein that the action of the Commission was not unreasonable. The news telecasts involved extended over a period of 20 program days. Each was three minutes in length and was repeated as a part of the three news telecasts aired daily by the licensee.
Almost two weeks before the series began, the petitioner, learning of the proposed series, had its counsel write the licensee, objecting to the propriety of the series and concluding ominously, “We will watch the production carefully with the view of protecting the interests of our client if the need arises.” Following up this letter a week later, petitioner’s counsel again wrote the licensee that any reference to their client during the series would be “probably libelous per se” and sternly warned that, if it made such reference, it would “run the risk of being sued not only for actual damages in a libel suit, but also for punitive damages”. By way of reply, the licensee advised the petitioner in a letter dated two days before the beginning of the series that, in broadcasting matters of concern to the public, it sought to be “both accurate and fair” and expressed a willingness “to discuss the content of the series insofar as it may concern your client” with petitioner’s counsel. On the day the series began, the peti
Some two weeks later and slightly more than a week before the series was to end, petitioner’s counsel advised the licensee it wished to delay its reply until the program was completed. Through its counsel, the petitioner proceeded then to state the terms demanded of the licensee for airing its reply. It demanded “the same quantity of time” used in the entire series for its reply, which it wished “telecast on the same news program and spread over the approximate period of time”, again as in the series itself. In order to prepare its reply, it added that, while the petitioner would “provide our (its) own spokesman” for the reply, it expected the licensee to provide it with cameramen “to take pictures of places and people away from the studio”, with “sound equipment to interview people away from the studio”, with technical people “to prepare” charts to be used during their reply, and, finally, with the “technical advice of your production people in preparing the telecast.” On December 15, the manager óf the licensee telephoned counsel for petitioner and, while advising counsel that it could not accede to the request made by the petitioner in its letter of December 10, offered to extend the series (due to end on December 18) “in order to accommodate your request for time to express the viewpoints” of the petitioner. This offer was declined. By letter dated December 17, the licensee renewed this verbal offer and then offered, if the petitioner preferred, two appearances on its station, each to “be approximately the same duration as each of the individual reports in the series, i. e., about three minutes in length, and be broadcast during our three daily news programs, as was the series.” It expressed, also, its willingness to “provide for the filming of the appearances, offer necessary technical assistance and cooperate in the preparation of charts or other visual aids to be used therein, insofar as we are reasonably able to do so.” This new offer was similarly rejected by the petitioner as “completely unfair and inadequate”.
Nor were its offers of response limited to the petitioner or its attorney. On January 15, 1971, prior to the filing of any complaint with the Commission by the petitioner, the licensee took note of a newspaper article written by the real estate editor of the Baltimore News American to the effect that the petitioner had been “unfairly criticized” without any opportunity to reply. The licensee promptly offered to make available to the editor two appearances on its station for response by the editor to the series in defense of the petitioner.
On February 3, 1971, almost a month and a half after the series had ended and after the licensee had made its offer to the petitioner, the petitioner filed its complaint with the respondent Commission, charging that the licensee had failed to afford it a “reasonable opportunity to reply to the personal attacks as required by FCC Rules”. (Section 73.679.)
Again, while the complaint was pending, the licensee arranged a program in which there was to be an extensive panel discussion on the issues raised during the series. This program was set for airing on April 28. Either the petitioner or its counsel had been invited to participate and had accepted. However, a week before the program was to be presented, the petitioner, contending that the licensee had improperly called such expected participation to the atten
On this record, we cannot conclude that the Commission acted either unreasonably or capriciously. Contrary to petitioner’s contention, the licensee was under no obligation to provide the petitioner with “equal time”, as we have seen;
The-appeal is dismissed and the decision of the Commission affirmed.
Affirmed.
. The regulation places other responsibilities on a television licensee making a personal attack. The petitioner, however, claimed only a right to reply and made no complaint on account of the other requirements of the regulation. Thus, it concludes its complaint with the prayer that the Commission “order television station WJZ to give us equal time and facilities to answer the last program attacking us, which program consisted of twenty separate telecasts, each one repeated three times as part of a newscast and extending over a period of one month.”
. See p. 378, 89 S.Ct. p. 1800.
. See Green v. F.C.C., supra, at p. 327, n. 6.
. This would have meant telecasts total-ling in broadcast time 18 minutes for each daily program, or a total of 180 minutes for the entire series. The agreed facts, however, indicate that the total broadcast time for the series was 186 minutes. The difference is insignificant and does not affect the result of this appeal.
. Neither chose to exercise the right of reply either during or after the completion of the series.
. Others than the petitioner were criticized in the series. They were as much entitled to a right of response as the petitioner. They were offered a right of reply. Had they, along with the petitioner, in exercising such right, demanded and received for reply “equal time”, the entire scheduling operation of the station would have been seriously disrupted.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- M. GOLDSEKER REAL ESTATE COMPANY v. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION and United States of America, Westinghouse Broadcasting Company, Inc., Intervenor
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published