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First Amendment

First Amendment

Federal Communications Law Journal

Articles 31 - 42 of 42

Full-Text Articles in Law

First Amendment Trump?: The Uncertain Constitutionalization Of Structural Regulation Separating Telephone And Video, Susan Dente Ross Mar 1998

First Amendment Trump?: The Uncertain Constitutionalization Of Structural Regulation Separating Telephone And Video, Susan Dente Ross

Federal Communications Law Journal

The Cable Act of 1984 contained a "cross-ownership" ban, which prohibited telephone companies from entering the local cable video market. Although the ban was challenged by telephone carriers on numerous grounds, the First Amendment was not the basis of any challenge until the mid-1990s when telephone companies sought to characterize themselves not just as carriers but as content suppliers, or "speakers," who were deprived of their right to speak as a result of common carrier regulations that were intended merely to control the economic structure of the communications industry. Using the First Amendment as a new-found constitutional weapon to challenge …


In Search Of A Smoking Gun: Tortious Interference With Nondisclosure Agreements As An Obstacle To Newsgathering, Mark J. Chasteen Mar 1998

In Search Of A Smoking Gun: Tortious Interference With Nondisclosure Agreements As An Obstacle To Newsgathering, Mark J. Chasteen

Federal Communications Law Journal

In November 1995, the prominent CBS newsmagazine 60 Minutes refrained from broadcasting an important interview with a former vice president of Brown & Williamson for fear of being liable for tortiously interfering with a confidentiality agreement between the employee and the tobacco company. This event illustrates a new concern facing media: specifically whether liability arises from broadcasting information that would be considered protected speech had the source not been a party to a nondisclosure agreement. It also illustrates an area of First Amendment jurisprudence that is as yet uncharted and for which there is no established standard that is easily …


People Do Read Large Ads: The Law Of Advertising From Outer Space, Don E. Tomlinson, Rob L. Wiley Apr 1995

People Do Read Large Ads: The Law Of Advertising From Outer Space, Don E. Tomlinson, Rob L. Wiley

Federal Communications Law Journal

Although many may not be aware of it; the .technological capability currently exists to launch large, billboard-type advertisements into outer space. These ads could be as large as a full moon, and last for an almost infinite duration. Reaction to the possibility of space advertising has been generally negative, with many expressing concerns about the aesthetic effect of floating space billboards. One recent example of this is the proposal to launch a billboard containing the five-ring Olympic symbol in connection with Atlanta's hosting the 1996 Olympics, which was rejected by Mayor Maynard Jackson as "environmental pollution." Despite the fact that …


A Law Antecedent And Paramount, Fred H. Cate Dec 1994

A Law Antecedent And Paramount, Fred H. Cate

Federal Communications Law Journal

No abstract provided.


The Sensitive Society, James F. Fitzpatrick Dec 1994

The Sensitive Society, James F. Fitzpatrick

Federal Communications Law Journal

No abstract provided.


Commentary On Adrian Cronauer's "The Fairness Doctrine", Robert P. Rhodes Oct 1994

Commentary On Adrian Cronauer's "The Fairness Doctrine", Robert P. Rhodes

Federal Communications Law Journal

Symposium: The Transformation of Television News


The First Amendment And The Protection Of Unfair Speech, Barbara Mcdowell Oct 1994

The First Amendment And The Protection Of Unfair Speech, Barbara Mcdowell

Federal Communications Law Journal

Symposium: The Transformation of Television News


Fairness And The Public Trustee Concept: Time To Move On, Henry Geller Oct 1994

Fairness And The Public Trustee Concept: Time To Move On, Henry Geller

Federal Communications Law Journal

Symposium: The Transformation of Television News


The Fairness Doctrine: A Solution In Search Of A Problem, Adrian Cronauer Oct 1994

The Fairness Doctrine: A Solution In Search Of A Problem, Adrian Cronauer

Federal Communications Law Journal

The "Fairness Doctrine" refers to a former policy of the Federal Communications Commission wherein a broadcast station which presented one viewpoint on a controversial public issue had to afford the opposing viewpoint an opportunity to be heard. The FCC ceased to enforce the doctrine in 1987, reasoning that the doctrine actually decreased the viewpoints heard by discouraging broadcasters from covering controversial issues out of fear of censure by the FCC. The Author explores the historical development of the Fairness Doctrine and examines the flaws with the different rationales upon which the doctrine is based. The Autho concludes that today's marketplace …


A Critique Of An Illegal Conduct Limitation On The Reporters' Privilege Not To Testify, Leslie A. Warren Jun 1994

A Critique Of An Illegal Conduct Limitation On The Reporters' Privilege Not To Testify, Leslie A. Warren

Federal Communications Law Journal

The First Amendment is commonly interpreted to allow reporters a qualified privilege not to testify. By compelling testimony only where the party requesting the information meets the elements of a three-part test, a court balances the interests of the requesting party with those of the reporter. The court in United States v. Sanusi applied this traditional test and found that the defendant met the elements. However, the court also added a new restriction on the privilege. This Note argues that the additional limitation, requiring that the court be confident that the privilege not be "justifying otherwise illegal conduct," is an …


The Cable-Telco Cross-Ownership Prohibition: First Amendment Infringement Through Obsolescence, Michael G. Oxley Dec 1993

The Cable-Telco Cross-Ownership Prohibition: First Amendment Infringement Through Obsolescence, Michael G. Oxley

Federal Communications Law Journal

Since 1970, the FCC has prohibited all telephone companies from providing video programming in their local service areas. The primary rationale behind this prohibition was to promote the cable industry. Since 1984, however, the cable industry has seen tremendous growth with very little competition. New technology and market demands have now necessitated a reevaluation of the ban on cable-telco cross-ownership. The Author argues that with the changes that have occurred in the marketplace, the ban is now both an invalid prior restraint and an infringement on commercial expression and thus a violation of the First Amendment rights of telephone companies. …


The Cable Act And Municipal Ownership: A Growing First Amendment Confrontation, Carl R. Ramey Dec 1993

The Cable Act And Municipal Ownership: A Growing First Amendment Confrontation, Carl R. Ramey

Federal Communications Law Journal

In many communities across the nation cable subscribers depend on government-owned cable television systems for their communication services. This phenomenon may have started out to be fairly insignificant, but as a result of the cable explosion, government ownership of cable systems presents a threat to free expression. Governmental overbuilding and direct competition with private cable service providers have been the subject of unsuccessful First Amendment challenges. The threat of government control of cable systems, though, is potentially dramatic and poses serious First Amendment questions. The Author concludes that private ownership should be encouraged, and public ownership should only be allowed …