Source: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/311/132/
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 18:36:16+00:00

Document:
Columbia Broadcasting System of California, Inc.
1. Section 402(b) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, does not authorize an appeal to the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia from an order of the Federal Communications Commission denying an application under § 310(b) for consent to the transfer of a radio station license. P. 311 U. S. 134.
2. Such an order is not one refusing an "application for a radio station license," within the meaning of § 402(a) or § 402(b)(1). P. 311 U. S. 136.
3. Implied adoption of a judicial construction upon the reenactment of a statute is merely one factor in the total effort to give fair meaning to statutory language. P. 311 U. S. 137.
71 App.D.C. 206; 108 F.2d 737, reversed.
Certiorari, 310 U.S. 617 to review the denial of motions in two cases to dismiss appeals from an order of the Federal Communications Commission refusing consent to the transfer of a radio station license. The proposed transferor and the proposed transferee had joined in an application to the Commission for such consent, and took separate appeals from the order denying it.
We brought these two cases here, 310 U.S. 617, because they raise questions of importance touching the distribution of judicial authority under the Communications Act of 1934. Act of June 19, 1934, 48 Stat. 1064, as amended by the Act of June 5, 1936, 49 Stat. 1475, and by the Act of May 20, 1937, 50 Stat. 189, 47 U.S.C. § 151 et seq.
"any order of the Commission granting or refusing an application for a construction permit for a radio station, or for a radio station license, or for renewal of an existing radio station license, or for modification of an existing radio station license, or suspending a radio operator's license."
These five types of orders, thus placed beyond the jurisdiction of the district courts, are then affirmatively dealt with by § 402(b). As to them, that provision gives an appeal "from decisions of the Commission to the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia," with ultimate resort to this Court only upon writ of certiorari.
Our problem, then, is to apply this scheme of jurisdiction to the situation before us. Acting under § 310(b) of the Communications Act, the Commission refused consent to an assignment to the Columbia Broadcasting System of California of a radio station license held by the Associated Broadcasters. Columbia and Associated thereupon sought in the Court of Appeals for the District review of the Commission's denial of consent. The Commission moved to dismiss the appeals for want of jurisdiction. The court below, with one justice dissenting, denied the motions and entertained jurisdiction. 71 App.D.C. 206, 108 F.2d 737.
the meaning that ordinary speech assigns to the language. Instead of assimilating the requirements for transfers to applications for new licenses or renewals, the Act as a whole sharply differentiates between them. Different considerations of policy may govern the granting or withholding of licenses from those which pertain to assent to transfers. And Congress saw fit to fashion different provisions for them. Compare §§ 307, 308, 309, and 319 with § 310(b). There are also differences in the formulated administrative practice for disposing of applications for station licenses and requests for consents to transfer. Nor do some similarities in treatment make irrelevant the differences.
A sensible reading of the jurisdictional provisions in the context of the substantive provisions to which they relate gives no warrant for denying significance to the classification made by Congress between those orders for which review can only come before the local district courts, and those five types of orders, explicitly characterized, which alone can come before the Court of Appeals for the District. And an order denying consent to an application for a transfer is not one of those five, for it is not an application for "a radio station license" in any fair intendment of that category.
does not detract from, but if anything reenforces, the construction required by a clear-eyed reading of the statute.
* Together with No. 40, Federal Communications Commission v. Associated Broadcasters, Inc., also on writ of certiorari, 310 U.S. 617, to the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.
"(a) The provisions of the Act of October 22, 1913 (38 Stat. 219), relating to the enforcing or setting aside of the orders of the Interstate Commerce Commission, are hereby made applicable to suits to enforce, enjoin, set aside, annul, or suspend any order of the Commission under this Act (except any order of the Commission granting or refusing an application for a construction permit for a radio station, or for a radio station license, or for renewal of an existing radio station license, or for modification of an existing radio station license, or suspending a radio operator's license), and such suits are hereby authorized to be brought as provided in that Act. . . ."
"(b) An appeal may be taken, in the manner hereinafter provided, from decisions of the Commission to the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in any of the following cases:"
"(1) By any applicant for a construction permit for a radio station, or for a radio station license, or for renewal of an existing radio station license, or for modification of an existing radio station license, whose application is refused by the Commission."
"(2) By any other person aggrieved or whose interests are adversely affected by any decision of the Commission granting or refusing any such application."
"(3) By any radio operator whose license has been suspended by the Commission."
If the assignee is covered § 402(b)(1) the assignor would be within § 402(b)(2).

References: § 310
 § 402
 § 402
 § 151
 § 402
 § 310
 § 310
 v. 
 § 402
 § 402