Pace Law Review Volume 10 Article 5 Issue 3 Summer 1990 June 1990 The Public nI terest, Convenience, or Necessity: A Dead Standard in the Era of Broadcast Deregulation? Marc Sophos Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.pace.edu/plr Recommended Citation Marc Sophos, The Public Interest, Convenience, or Necessity: A Dead Standard in the Era of Broadcast Deregulation?, 10 Pace L. Rev. 661 (1990) Available at: http://digitalcommons.pace.edu/plr/vol10/iss3/5 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the School of Law at DigitalCommons@Pace. It has been accepted for inclusion in Pace Law Review by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Pace. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. The Public Interest, Convenience, or Necessity: A Dead Standard in the Era of Broadcast Deregulation? The [Federal Communications] Commission, if public conve- nience, interest, or necessity will be served thereby, ...shall grant to any applicant therefor a station license provided for by this act.1 I. Introduction The Communications Act of 19342 established the Federal Communications Commission3 and directed it to license broad- casting stations using as its standard "the public convenience, interest, or necessity."'4 Although the standard is somewhat vague, the Commission developed a number of policies designed to protect the public interest as it is served by broadcasting.' 1. Communications Act of 1934, 47 U.S.C. § 307(a) (1982 & Supp. V 1987). 2. 47 U.S.C. §§ 151-805 (1982 & Supp. V 1987). 3. Id. § 151. The Act gave the newly formed Commission broad jurisdiction to regu- late "interstate and foreign communication by wire or radio" as described in the Act's title.