Federal Communications Commission v. Woko, Inc. (329 U.S. 223)
U.S. Supreme Court · decided December 9, 1946 · Supreme Court Database (Spaeth)
- Citation
- 329 U.S. 223 · 67 S. Ct. 213
- Decided
- December 9, 1946
- Term
- October Term 1946
- Vote
- 8–0
- Majority author
- Justice Jackson (R.H.)
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome
- Petitioning party won
- Ideological direction
- Liberal
Opinion excerpt
Mr. Justice Jackson delivered the opinion of the Court. WOKO, Incorporated, for some years has operated a radio station at Albany, New York, and appears to have rendered public service of acceptable quality and to be able to continue. The Federal Communications Commission refused to renew its license because of misrepresentations made to the Commission and its predecessor as to the ownership of the applicant’s capital stock. Two hundred and forty shares, being twenty-four per cent of its outstanding capital stock, was owned by one Pickard and his family. For some twelve years they received all dividends paid on the stock and Pickard took an active interest in the Company’s affairs. He also was a vice-president of the Columbia Broadcasting Company and had obtained the stock on the assurance that he would help to secure Columbia affiliation for Station WOKO, would furnish, without charge, Columbia engineers to construct the station at Albany, and would supply a grand piano and certain newspaper publicity. The company, however, in reporting to the Federal Radio Commission and to the Federal Communications Commission the names of its stockholders as it was required to do for many years and in many applications, concealed the fact that the Pickards held this stock interest and represented that the shares were held by others. Its general manager appeared on behalf of the applicant…
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