Trinity Methodist Church, South v. Federal Radio Commission
| Trinity Methodist Church, South v. Federal Radio Commission | |
|---|---|
| Court | United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit |
| Full case name | Trinity Methodist Church, South v. Federal Radio Commission |
| Argued | May 3–4, 1932 |
| Decided | November 28, 1932 |
| Citation | 62 F.2d 850 |
| Case history | |
| Procedural history | Upheld administrative ruling by the Federal Radio Commission. |
| Holding | |
| Due process was exercised by the Federal Radio Commission in refusing to renew a broadcasting license for radio station KGEF due to content that violated the public interest. | |
| Case opinions | |
| Majority | Duncan Lawrence Groner, joined by Josiah Alexander Van Orsdel |
| Laws applied | |
| Radio Act of 1927, First Amendment to the United States Constitution, Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution | |
Trinity Methodist Church, South v. Federal Radio Commission, 62 F.2d 850 (D.C. Circuit, 1932), was an early precedent on the enforcement of broadcasting law in the United States. The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld a decision by the Federal Radio Commission (FRC) to deny a broadcasting license for radio station KGEF, due to controversial content broadcast by Robert P. Shuler. The court held that the public interest in appropriate content on the broadcast airwaves can override free speech concerns under the First Amendment, and that the denial of a radio station license is acceptable if done per due process of law requirements under the Fifth Amendment.