Red Lion Broadcasting Co., Inc., et al. v. Federal Communications Commission et al.

Decided June 9, 1969. Byron Raymond White delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 2 · 395 U.S. 367 (1969) · Cited 1,826 times

We don’t yet publish a summary of this opinion — read the official text below for the Court’s holding and reasoning.

How the Justices voted

Decided 7–0.

“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. Source: the Supreme Court Database (Spaeth et al.), Washington University.

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.

• National Broadcasting Co. v. United States · 319 U.S. 190 (1943)
• Federal Radio Comm'n v. Nelson Brothers Bond & Mortgage Co. (Station WIBO) · 289 U.S. 266 (1933)
• Federal Communications Commission v. Pottsville Broadcasting Co. · 309 U.S. 134 (1940)
• Associated Press v. United States · 326 U.S. 1 (1945)
• Zemel v. Rusk · 381 U.S. 1 (1965)
• Federal Communications Commission v. RCA Communications, Inc. · 346 U.S. 86 (1953)
• New York Times Co. v. Sullivan · 376 U.S. 254 (1964)
• Udall v. Tallman · 380 U.S. 1 (1965)
• United States v. United Mine Workers of America · 330 U.S. 258 (1947)
• Garrison v. Louisiana · 379 U.S. 64 (1964)
• Kovacs v. Cooper · 336 U.S. 77 (1949)
• Joseph Burstyn, Inc. v. Wilson · 343 U.S. 495 (1952)
• United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc. · 334 U.S. 131 (1948)
• Glidden Co. v. Zdanok · 370 U.S. 530 (1962)
• Abrams v. United States · 250 U.S. 616 (1919)
• Federal Communications Commission v. Sanders Bros. Radio Station · 309 U.S. 470 (1940)
• Federal Housing Administration v. Darlington, Inc. · 358 U.S. 84 (1958)
• United States v. Sullivan · 332 U.S. 689 (1948)
• Commissioner v. Estate of Sternberger · 348 U.S. 187 (1955)
• Citizen Publishing Co. v. United States · 394 U.S. 131 (1969)
• Hastings & Dakota Railroad v. Whitney · 132 U.S. 357 (1889)
• Federal Communications Commission v. Allentown Broadcasting Corp. · 349 U.S. 358 (1955)
• Stockdale v. Insurance Companies · 87 U.S. 323 (1874)
• Alstate Construction Co. v. Durkin · 345 U.S. 13 (1953)
• Farmers Educational & Cooperative Union v. WDAY, Inc. · 360 U.S. 525 (1959)
• Costanzo v. Tillinghast · 287 U.S. 341 (1932)

Cited by

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

• Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc. v. Democratic National Committee · 412 U.S. 94 (1973)
• CBS, Inc. v. Federal Communications Commission · 453 U.S. 367 (1981)
• Federal Communications Commission v. League of Women Voters of California · 468 U.S. 364 (1984)
• Federal Communications Commission v. Fox Television Stations, Inc. · 556 U.S. 502 (2009)
• Denver Area Educational Telecommunications Consortium, Inc. v. Federal Communications Commission · 518 U.S. 727 (1996)
• Metro Broadcasting, Inc. v. Federal Communications Commission · 497 U.S. 547 (1990)
• Federal Communications Commission v. WNCN Listeners Guild · 450 U.S. 582 (1981)
• Federal Communications Commission v. Pacifica Foundation · 438 U.S. 726 (1978)
• McConnell v. Federal Election Commission · 540 U.S. 93 (2003)
• Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. v. Federal Communications Commission · 512 U.S. 622 (1994)
• Federal Communications Commission v. National Citizens Committee for Broadcasting · 436 U.S. 775 (1978)
• Regents of the University of California v. Bakke · 438 U.S. 265 (1978)
• First Nat. Bank of Boston v. Bellotti · 435 U.S. 765 (1978)
• Davis v. Federal Election Commission · 554 U.S. 724 (2008)
• Pacific Gas & Electric Co. v. Public Utilities Commission · 475 U.S. 1 (1986)
• South Carolina v. Regan · 465 U.S. 367 (1984)
• International Brotherhood of Teamsters v. United States · 431 U.S. 324 (1977)
• Cipollone v. Liggett Group, Inc. · 505 U.S. 504 (1992)
• Illinois Brick Co. v. Illinois · 431 U.S. 720 (1977)
• Metromedia, Inc. v. City of San Diego · 453 U.S. 490 (1981)
• Reno v. American Civil Liberties Union · 521 U.S. 844 (1997)
• Herbert v. Lando · 441 U.S. 153 (1979)
• McGautha v. California · 402 U.S. 183 (1971)
• Kleindienst v. Mandel · 408 U.S. 753 (1972)
• Amalgamated Ass'n of Street, Electric Railway & Motor Coach Employees of America v. Lockridge · 403 U.S. 274 (1971)
• Consolidated Edison Co. of New York v. Public Service Commission · 447 U.S. 530 (1980)
• Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. v. Federal Communications Commission · 520 U.S. 180 (1997)
• Federal Communications Commission v. Midwest Video Corp. · 440 U.S. 689 (1979)
• National Labor Relations Board v. Hendricks County Rural Electric Membership Corp. · 454 U.S. 170 (1981)
• Almendarez-Torres v. United States · 523 U.S. 224 (1998)

Official text

Read the official opinion (U.S. Reports, govinfo.gov)

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Source: the U.S. Reports via govinfo.gov; authoring Justice and vote lineup from the Supreme Court Database (Washington University). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-07-03. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).