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Administrative Law-Community Representatives Have Standing To Challenge Fcc License Renewal-Office Of Communication Of United Church Of Christ V. Fcc, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

When the owners of a Jackson, Mississippi television station applied to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for a renewal of their broadcast license, representatives of the local Negro community filed a petition with the Commission, requesting it to deny the renewal. Petitioners contended that a renewal of the applicant's license would not be in the public interest since the station had consistently violated the Commission's "fairness doctrine" which requires broadcasters to encourage and implement a fair presentation of all sides of any controversial public issue discussed over their facilities. Specifically, petitioners alleged that, in its local programs dealing with racial …