Happy Birthday to the Federal Communications Commision…I Guess – Dave’s Diary

Happy Birthday to the FCC.  Excuse me if I cheer for the candles.

According to a website called an Analysis of The United States Federal Communications Commission, an act of Congress on 19 June 1934 merged the administrative responsibilities for regulating broadcasting and wired communications under the rubric of one agency to be called the FCC.

Created during "The New Deal" with the blessings of President Franklin D. Roosevelt,--aha! A Democrat! No Wonder -- the commission was given broad latitude to establish "a rapid, efficient, Nation-wide, and world-wide wire and radio communication service."

The agency was organized into three divisions: Broadcast, Telegraph, and Telephone. You will notice there is NO mention of newspapers…the FCC stacked the deck against broadcasters for years in their competition with the people of the “press”.  Today, the agency employs approximately 2000 people and operates on a $245 million budget. It has extensive oversight responsibilities in new technologies such as wireless, satellite and microwave communications.