Under the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, the Commission may, in appropriate circumstances, have concerns about whether to revoke (47 U.S.C. § 312) or not to renew (47 U.S.C. § 309(k)) a license or other authorization. In both cases, the Commission issues an order describing the facts of the case and the legal questions to be decided and designating the matter for hearing before an administrative law judge (ALJ). The Enforcement Bureau’s Investigations and Hearings Division serves as trial staff for hearings before the ALJ. During the hearing, the licensee and the Enforcement Bureau may present evidence with respect to the matters designated for hearing. Following conclusion of the hearing, the ALJ issues a preliminary decision on the merits, which is subject to review by the full Commission.
Resources
All orders and filings in FCC hearings are available via the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS).