United States Supreme Court Cases & Opinions

U.S. Supreme Court

FCC v. Columbia Broadcasting System, 311 U.S. 132 (1940)

Federal Communications Commission v.

Columbia Broadcasting System of California, Inc.

No. 39

Argued November 15, 1940

Decided November 25, 1940*

311 U.S. 132

Syllabus

1. Section 402(b) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, does not authorize an appeal to the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia from an order of the Federal Communications Commission denying an application under § 310(b) for consent to the transfer of a radio station license. P. 311 U. S. 134.

Page 311 U. S. 133

2. Such an order is not one refusing an "application for a radio station license," within the meaning of § 402(a) or § 402(b)(1). P. 311 U. S. 136.

3. Implied adoption of a judicial construction upon the reenactment of a statute is merely one factor in the total effort to give fair meaning to statutory language. P. 311 U. S. 137.

71 App.D.C. 206; 108 F.2d 737, reversed.

Certiorari, 310 U.S. 617 to review the denial of motions in two cases to dismiss appeals from an order of the Federal Communications Commission refusing consent to the transfer of a radio station license. The proposed transferor and the proposed transferee had joined in an application to the Commission for such consent, and took separate appeals from the order denying it.