CBS, Inc. v. Federal Communications Commission

453 U.S. 367 · Decided July 1, 1981 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

CBS, Inc. v. Federal Communications Commission was decided on July 1, 1981 by a vote of 6–3. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Chief Justice Warren E. Burger wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Radio and television regulation” in the Economic Activity area.

Read the opinion

• CourtListener (Free Law Project) — opinion text
• Library of Congress — official U.S. Reports scan

Case details

How the Justices voted

Full case caption

CBS, Inc. v. Federal Communications Commission et al.

SCDB identifiers: case 1980-145, docket 1980-145-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “Radio and television regulation”

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  450 U.S. 582Decided March 24, 19817–2Byron R. White
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• Federal Communications Commission v. National Citizens Committee for Broadcasting
  436 U.S. 775Decided June 12, 19788–0Thurgood Marshall
• United States v. Storer Broadcasting Co.
  351 U.S. 192Decided May 21, 19567–2Stanley F. Reed
• Federal Communications Commission v. Allentown Broadcasting Corp.
  349 U.S. 358Decided June 6, 19557–1Stanley F. Reed
• Federal Communications Commission v. American Broadcasting Co., Inc.
  347 U.S. 284Decided April 5, 19548–0Earl Warren

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Cases on the same legal provision: Communications Act of 1934

• Federal Communications Commission v. Midwest Video Corporation
  440 U.S. 689Decided April 2, 19796–3Byron R. White
• Capital Cities Cable, Inc. v. Crisp
  467 U.S. 691Decided June 18, 19849–0William J. Brennan Jr.
• Louisiana Public Service Commission v. Federal Communications Commission
  476 U.S. 355Decided May 27, 19865–2William J. Brennan Jr.
• Federal Communications Commission and United States v. Beach Communications, Inc.
  508 U.S. 307Decided June 1, 19939–0Clarence Thomas
• United States and Federal Communications Commission v. Edge Broadcasting Company T/a Power 94
  509 U.S. 418Decided June 25, 19937–2Byron R. White
• Fuller v. Alaska
  393 U.S. 80Decided October 28, 19687–2Per curiam

Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)

• Environmental Protection Agency v. National Crushed Stone Association
  449 U.S. 64Decided December 2, 19808–0Byron R. White
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  449 U.S. 268Decided December 15, 19808–1John Paul Stevens
• Minnesota v. Clover Leaf Creamery Co.
  449 U.S. 456Decided January 21, 19817–1William J. Brennan Jr.
• Board of Governors of Federal Reserve System v. Investment Company Institute
  450 U.S. 46Decided February 24, 19816–0John Paul Stevens
• Steadman v. Securities and Exchange Commission
  450 U.S. 91Decided February 25, 19817–2William J. Brennan Jr.
• Diamond v. Diehr
  450 U.S. 175Decided March 3, 19815–4William H. Rehnquist

See all

Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error