Columbia Broadcasting System v. The Democratic National Committee - Significance, Is Ad Space/time Public?

Petitioner

Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the Business Executives' Move for Vietnam Peace (BEM)

Respondent

Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc.

Petitioner's Claim

That CBS's refusal to sell advertising time to the plaintiffs for expressing controversial views violated First Amendment rights.

Chief Lawyer for Petitioner

J. Roger Wollenberg

Chief Lawyer of Respondent

Thomas R. Asher

Justices for the Court

Harry A. Blackmun, Warren E. Burger (writing for the Court), William O. Douglas, Lewis F. Powell, Jr., William H. Rehnquist, Potter Stewart, Byron R. White

Justices Dissenting

William J. Brennan, Jr., Thurgood Marshall

Place

Washington, D.C.

Date of Decision

29 May 1973

Decision

The general policy of refusing to sell any editorial advertising time did not violate the First Amendment or the Federal Communications Act of 1934.

Related Cases

• Red Lion Broadcasting Co. v. FCC, 395 U.S. 367 (1969).
• Miami Herald Publishing Company v. Tornillo, 418 U.S. 241 (1974).

Sources

www.law.vill.edu/Fed-Ct/Supreme/Flite/opinions/412US94.html

Further Readings

• Franklin, Marc A. and David A. Anderson. Cases and Materials on Mass Media Law. The Foundation Press, Inc. 1990.
• Lieberman, Jethro K. The Evolving Constitution. Random House: 1992.
• Seidman, Louis M., Gerald R. Stone, Cass R. Sunstein, and Mark V. Tushnet. Constitutional Law. Little, Brown and Company: 1986.