Federal Communications Commission v. League of Women Voters of California (1983)
- Docket
- 82-912
- Decided
- 1983-01-01
Summary
Question: Did the ban on editorializing violate the First Amendment? Conclusion: Yes. Even though the Commerce Clause gives Congress the power to regulate the broadcast medium, "since broadcasters are engaged in a vital and independent form of communicative activity," Congress must use the First Amendment to "inform and give shape" to its regulation. Justice Brennan argued that no legitimate government interest was served by the law which broadly banned all editorializing, a form of speech which "lies at the heart of First Amendment protection."