Deep South Broadcasting Co. v. Federal Communications Commission
Opinion of the Court
Appellant, Deep South Broadcasting Company, has a construction permit for a new commercial television station at Selma, Alabama. This appeal is from a decision of the Federal Communications Commission released September 8, 1958, which denied appellant’s application for modification of the construction permit in respect to power, antenna height, and antenna location; also from the Commission’s memorandum opinion and order released June 12, 1959, which denied appellant’s petition for reconsideration.
Appellant urges five errors: two upon procedural matters, two upon the Commission’s substantive findings, and one upon the Commission’s statutory authority.
The first procedural error alleged relates to § 309(b) of the Communica
The second alleged procedural irregularity is the Commission’s failure to make findings and conclusions upon “other issues” even though it determined that the application must be denied on the grounds that appellant was financially unqualified. Section 8(b) of the Administrative Procedure Act, upon which appellant relies, contains no such requirement.
The appellant’s attacks upon the Commission’s findings are also without merit. Appellant abandoned its original proposal to build the tower for $131,000 through Vulcan Tower Company, a partnership composed of the two principal stockholders of Deep South. Instead, it attempted to show that it would buy the tower for $200,000 from its principal supplier of broadcasting equipment, Standard Electronics. Standard, in turn, was to purchase the tower from Vulcan at $190,000. The appellant stated that Standard had orally agreed to advance Vulcan $190,000 as “a loan” with which to build the tower. But the Commission found that Standard had made no such commitment. We cannot accept appellant’s argument that this finding was co^rary to the weight of the evidence,
Appellant says that, even if Standard had not agreed to advance Vulcan the
The other finding under attack concerns the Commission’s second ground of decision: namely, the appellant’s failure to show that it could build a structurally sound tower almost 2,000 feet in height, or 400 feet taller than any man-made structure,
Finally, we reject appellant’s challenge to the Commission’s statutory authority to inquire into a tower’s strucfurai suitability. Aside from its author-j-jy to determine an applicant’s technical competence to operate a television station,
We fully agree with our dissentjng colleague that a proceeding of this jámj EOt intended to be adversary in natUre” and that the Commission should assist applicants in making a record wfjcf will enable it to make an intelligent public interest determination, There is no evidence or claim, however, if,at the Commission has information re]evant to high towers which it has not mac¡e available to the appellant. And there is nothing to indicate that sufficient information and experience are yet availt0 the Commission for the purpose o;j formulating engineering standards governing the construction of such high towers
Affirmed.
. That section reads in pertinent part:
“If upon examination of any such ap(plication the Commission is unable to * * * [find that the public interest, convenience and necessity would be served , -n £ ,, by the granting thereof] it shall forth- ... .... ., with notify the applicant and other known j •, parties m interest of the grounds and reasons for its inability to" make such finding. Such notice, which shall precede formal designation for a hearing, shall advise the applicant and all ■other known parties in interest of all objections made to the application as well as the sourcg and nature of such objections. Following such notice, the applicant shall be given an opportunity to reply. If the Commission, after consid■ering such reply, shall be unable to make the [necessary] findings, * * * it shall formally designate the application for hearing on the grounds or reasons then obtaining.” [48 Stat. 1085 (1934), as amended, 47 U.S.C.A. § 309(b) (emphasis supplied).]
A ~ .. . , , 2. See italicized portion of statute quoted . , - m * .. at note 1, supra. The Commission con- . , .. . J J. „ tends that this interpretation reflects its . „ pievious prac ice. ee ox a ey Broa,ica,mug Co 17 Pike & Fischer Radio Begs. 841 (1958).
. That section reads in pertinent part: “All decisions * * * shall become a part of the record and include a statement of (1) findings and conclusions, as well as the reasons or basis therefor, upon all the material issues of fact, law, or discretion presented on the record.” [60 Stat. 242 (1946), 5 U.S.C.A. § 1007 (b).]
. One of tlic principal stockholders of Deep South, Mr. Brennan, testified he was willing to commit himself “for $100,000 in excess of * * * [what] I am already committed for - • ■ Mr. William Benns,^ Jr., the other principal stockholder, said he would assist the corporation financially if it became necessary.” But in view of the fact that Mr. Benns had only $90,150 in uncommitted liquid assets and the tower would cost $190,000, we cannot say that the Commission erred in concluding that his commitment was too vague to justify the inforence that he would commit the entire balance of his personal fortune to the partnership venture.
, a 1,610 foot television tower in Jtoswell, New Mexico, is the world’s tallest man-made structure. N.Y. Telegram, World Almanac 704 (1958).
. 48 Stat. 1089 (1934), as amended, 47 U.S.C.A. § 319(a).
. 48 Stat. 1082 (1934), as amended, 47 U.S.C.A. § 303 (n).
Dissenting Opinion
(dissenting),
I would remand the case to the Federal Communications Commission with direc
A hearing of this kind is not intended to be adversary in nature, even though the burden is on the petitioner to establish a factual and legal basis for the relief sought. On the basis of the present record it appears that no towers have been constructed as high as 2000 feet. This alone would indicate that the petitioner has a heavy burden and it is doubtful if he has met that burden. One signal tower has been constructed to a height of 1610 feet but there is nothing in the record as to engineering, structural or other characteristics of that tower or its cost. While a tower of 2000 feet strains the inexpert imagination, it seems to me that new developments are not encouraged by an attitude on the part of the Commission that a petitioner proposing such a tower must prove its feasibility without the aid of information possessed by the Commission; if the Commission has any information which would shed light on the total subject un■der inquiry, i. e., the engineering specifications, physical characteristics, cost, hazards to aerial navigation, etc., all this should be made part of the record in the interest of affording a basis for an intelligent decision. Nor should we be called upon to review the subject unaided by ; he Commissions accumulated information and experience The frequently mentioned expertise’ of administrative agencies is not to be regarded as a means by which evaluations can be made on important evidentiary matter m the knowledge or possession of the Commission but not readily available to the public or e m us ry.
The record made by the petitioner is admittedly not a strong one in support of its application for so drastic an innovation as a signal tower more than three times the height of the Washington Monument, but this does not justify the Commission’s failure to make available to the parties — and to this court — all relevant information which it possesses concerning high signal towers. An applicant seeking modification of its equipment in new and uncharted areas of scientific or engineering developments is entitled to know how high is the hurdle be mus^ jump,
Reference
- Full Case Name
- DEEP SOUTH BROADCASTING COMPANY, a corporation v. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION, The Broadcasting Company of the South, Capital Broadcasting Company, Interveners
- Cited By
- 3 cases
- Status
- Published