ABC, INC. v. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

Nos. 08-0841-ag (Lead), 08-1424-ag (Con), 08-1781-ag (Con), 08-1966-ag (Con)

ABC, INC., KTRK TELEVISION, INC., WLS TELEVISION, INC., CITADEL COMMUNICATIONS, LLC, WKRN, G.P., YOUNG BROADCASTING OF GREEN BAY, INC., WKOW TELEVISION, INC., WSIL-TV, INC., ABC TELEVISION AFFILIATES ASSOCIATION, CEDAR RAPIDS TELEVISION COMPANY, CENTEX TELEVISION LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, CHANNEL 12 OF BEAUMONT INCORPORATED, DUHAMEL BROADCASTING ENTERPRISES, GRAY TELEVISION LICENSE, INCORPORATED, KATC COMMUNICATIONS, INCORPORATED, KATV LLC, KDNL LICENSEE LLC, KETV HEARST-ARGYLE TELEVISION INCORPORATED, KLTV/KTRE LICENSE SUBSIDIARY LLC, KSTP-TV LLC, KSWO TELEVISION COMPANY INCORPORATED, KTBS INCORPORATED, KTUL LLC, KVUE TELEVISION INCORPORATED, McGRAW-HILL BROADCASTING COMPANY INCORPORATED, MEDIA GENERAL COMMUNICATIONS HOLDINGS LLC, MISSION BROADCASTING INCORPORATED, MISSISSIPPI BROADCASTING PARTNERS, NEW YORK TIMES MANAGEMENT SERVICES, NEXSTAR BROADCASTING INCORPORATED, NPG OF TEXAS, L.P., OHIO/OKLAHOMA HEARST-ARGYLE TELEVISION INC., PIEDMONT TELEVISION OF HUNTSVILLE LICENSE LLC, PIEDMONT TELEVISION OF SPRINGFIELD LICENSE LLC, POLLACK/BELZ COMMUNICATION COMPANY, INC., POST-NEWSWEEK STATIONS SAN ANTONIO INC., SCRIPPS HOWARD BROADCASTING CO., SOUTHERN BROADCASTING INC., TENNESSEE BROADCASTING PARTNERS, TRIBUNE TELEVISION NEW ORLEANS INC., WAPT HEARST-ARGYLE TELEVISION INC., WDIO-TV LLC, WEAR LICENSEE LLC, WFAA-TV INC., WISN HEARST-ARGYLE TELEVISION INC., Petitioners, v. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Respondents, FOX TELEVISION STATIONS, INC., NBC UNIVERSAL, INC., NBC TELEMUNDO LICENSE CO., CBS BROADCASTING INC., Intervenors.

United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit.

January 4, 2011.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

SETH P. WAXMAN ( Paul R.Q. Wolfson , Jack N. Goodman , Daniel S. Volchok , and Micah S. Myers , on the brief), Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, Washington, DC; John W. Zucker , Alan N. Braverman , and Susan L. Fox, ABC, Inc., New York, NY, for Petitioners ABC, Inc., KTRK Television, Inc., and WLS Television, Inc.

Wade H. Hargrove , Mark J. Prak , and David Kushner ( Stephen Hartzell and Julia Ambrose , on the brief), Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard, LLP, Raleigh, NC, for Petitioners Citadel Communications, LLC, WKRN, G.P., Young Broadcasting of Green Bay, Inc., WKOW Television Inc., WSIL-TV, Inc., ABC Television Affiliates Association, Cedar Rapids Television Company, Centex Television Limited Partnership, Channel 12 of Beaumont Incorporated, Duhamel Broadcasting Enterprises, Gray Television License, Incorporated, KATC Communications, Incorporated, KATV LLC, KDNL Licensee LLC, KETV Hearst-Argyle Television Incorporated, KLTV/KTRE License Subsidiary LLC, KSTP-TV LLC, KSWO Television Company Incorporated, KTBS Incorporated, KTUL LLC, KVUE Television Incorporated, McGraw-Hill Broadcasting Company Incorporated, Media General Communications Holdings LLC, Mission Broadcasting Incorporated, Mississippi Broadcasting Partners, New York Times Management Services, Nexstar Broadcasting Incorporated, NPG of Texas, L.P., Ohio/Oklahoma Hearst-Argyle Television Inc., Piedmont Television of Huntsville License LLC, Piedmont Television of Springfield License LLC, Pollack/Belz Communication Company, Inc., Post-Newsweek Stations San Antonio Inc., Scripps Howard Broadcasting Co., Southern Broadcasting Inc., Tennessee Broadcasting Partners, Tribune Television New Orleans Inc., WAPT Hearst-Argyle Television Inc., WDIO-TV LLC, WEAR Licensee LLC, WFAA-TV Inc., and WISN Hearst-Argyle Television Inc.

Andrew J. Schwartzman and Parul P. Desai , Media Access Project, Washington, DC, for Amici Curiae Center for Creative Voices in Media and Future of Music Coalition, in support of Petitioners.

AUSTIN C. SCHLICK , General Counsel,** ( Jacob M. Lewis , Acting Deputy General Counsel, Nadan M. Joshi , Counsel, on the brief), Federal Communications Commission, Washington, DC, for Respondent Federal Communications Commission.

Tony West , Assistant Attorney General,*** ( Thomas M. Bondy and Anne Murphy , on the brief), U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Division, Washington, DC, for Respondent United States of America.

Thomas B. North , Law Office of Thomas B. North, St. Ignace, MI, for Amicus Curiae Decency Enforcement Center for Television, in support of Respondents.

Robert W. Peters and Robin S. Whitehead , Morality in Media, Inc., New York, NY, for Amicus Curiae Morality in Media, Inc., in support of Respondents.

Christopher T. Craig and Robert R. Sparks, Jr. , Sparks & Craig, LLP, McLean, VA, for Amicus Curiae Parents Television Council, in support of Respondents.

Carter G. Phillips , R. Clark Wadlow , Mark Schneider , James P. Young , Jennifer Tatel , David S. Petron , and Quin M. Sorenson , Sidley Austin LLP, Washington, DC; Ellen S. Agress , Maureen A. O'Connell , Fox Television Stations, Inc., New York, NY, for Intervenor Fox Television Stations, Inc.

Miguel A. Estrada , Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Washington, DC; Susan E. Weiner , NBC Universal, Inc., New York, NY, for Intervenors NBC Universal, Inc. and NBC Telemundo License Co.

Robert Corn-Revere , Ronald G. London , Amber L. Husbands , and David M. Shapiro , Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, Washington, DC; Jonathan H. Anschell , CBS Broadcasting, Inc., Los Angeles, CA; Susanna M. Lowy , CBS Broadcasting, Inc., New York, NY, for Intervenor CBS Broadcasting Inc., for Intervenors.

Present: RICHARD C. WESLEY, DEBRA A. LIVINGSTON, Circuit Judges, JANE A. RESTANI, Judge.


SUMMARY ORDER

UPON DUE CONSIDERATION IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that the petition for review be GRANTED and the forfeiture order of the Federal Communications Commission ("FCC") be VACATED.

ABC, Inc. ("ABC") and the ABC Television Affiliates Association and ABC-affiliated television stations (collectively, "ABC Affiliates") petition for review of an order of the FCC determining that an episode of the...

Let's get started

Leagle.com

Welcome to the leading source of independent legal reporting
Sign on now to see your case.
Or view more than 10 million decisions and orders.

  • Updated daily.
  • Uncompromising quality.
  • Complete, Accurate, Current.

Listed below are the cases that are cited in this Featured Case. Click the citation to see the full text of the cited case. Citations are also linked in the body of the Featured Case.

Cited Cases

  • No Cases Found

Listed below are those cases in which this Featured Case is cited. Click on the case name to see the full text of the citing case.

Citing Cases