FCC v. Prometheus Radio Project

Decided April 1, 2021. Brett M. Kavanaugh delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 19-1231 · 592 U.S. 414 (2021) · Cited 158 times

Holding

The Federal Communications Commission’s 2017 decision to repeal or modify three of its media ownership rules was not arbitrary or capricious for purposes of the Administrative Procedure Act.

The Court’s statement of the holding, from the opinion’s syllabus. The syllabus is prepared by the Reporter of Decisions and is not part of the opinion of the Court. Read the official opinion for authority.

How the Justices voted

Decided 9–0.

“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. The lineup is the syllabus’s disposition of who wrote and joined each opinion. Source: the opinion’s syllabus (supremecourt.gov).

Precedents cited

Supreme Court decisions this opinion relies on, ordered by how often it cites each. Cases in our collection link through; others are named.

• Motor Vehicle Mfrs. Assn. of United States, Inc. v. State Farm Mut. Automobile Ins. Co. · 463 U.S. 29 (1983)
• Federal Communications Commission v. Fox Television Stations, Inc. · 556 U.S. 502 (2009)
• Federal Communications Commission v. National Citizens Committee for Broadcasting · 436 U.S. 775 (1978)
• Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. · 435 U.S. 519 (1978)
• Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Pena · 515 U.S. 200 (1995)
• United States v. Detroit Timber & Lumber Co. · 200 U.S. 321 (1906)
• Federal Communications Commission v. Pottsville Broadcasting Co. · 309 U.S. 134 (1940)
• Perez v. Mortgage Bankers Assn. · 575 U.S. 92 (2015)
• Metro Broadcasting, Inc. v. Federal Communications Commission · 497 U.S. 547 (1990)
• Federal Communications Commission v. WNCN Listeners Guild · 450 U.S. 582 (1981)

Cited by

Later Supreme Court opinions in our collection that cite this case.

• Department of Education v. California · 604 U.S. 650 (2025)
• Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County · 605 U.S. 168 (2025)

Official text

Read the official opinion (PDF, supremecourt.gov)

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Brett M. Kavanaugh’s profile · All Supreme Court opinions · The Supreme Court

Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (2021). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-08-15. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).