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Unanimous decision. The First Amendment allows federal agencies to create rules that allow people that are defamed or potentially defamed access to equal air time in order to respond and allows a fairness standard for editorial speech by radio stations.
The FCC’s fairness doctrine does not impede the First Amendment, rather it enhances it. The fairness doctrine ensures a balanced and open discussion of contested ideas. The case laid the groundwork for the idea that the open discussion of public concerns is valuable, and public political editorialization must give fair response to all sides. This case also introduced the idea that without government regulation, individual voices on TV and radio would be lost in the “cacophony.”
Should the government require the media to provide victims of personal attacks made during prior broadcasts or publications the option of rebuttal?
On appeal, the FCC decided the station must give the author air time to make his case. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the FCC decision. An appeal was brought to the Supreme Court, which unanimously upheld the lower court’s decision.