United States · Bill · HR
H.R. 5242 (97th)
Broadcast Licensing, Renewal, and Deregulation Act of 1981
Introduced
16 December 1981
Last action
25 January 1982 · Referred
Status
Referred to Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Consumer Protection and Finance.
Sponsors
Rep. Collins, James M. [R-TX-3], Rep. Volkmer, Harold L. [D-MO-9], Rep. Hubbard, Carroll, Jr. [D-KY-1], Rep. Bliley, Tom [R-VA-7], Rep. Broyhill, James T. [R-NC-10], Rep. O'Brien, George M. [R-IL-4], Rep. Brown, Clarence, Jr. [R-OH-7], Rep. Whittaker, Bob [R-KS-5], Sen. Shelby, Richard C. [R-AL], Rep. Rhodes, John J. [R-AZ-1], Rep. Skeen, Joe [R-NM-2], Rep. Anthony, Beryl, Jr. [D-AR-4], Rep. Taylor, G. [R-MO-7], Rep. Davis, Robert W. [R-MI-11], Rep. Wilson, Charles [D-TX-2], Rep. Snyder, M. G. (Gene) [R-KY-4], Rep. Rogers, Harold [R-KY-5], Sen. Coats, Daniel [R-IN], Rep. Perkins, Carl Dewey [D-KY-7], Rep. Natcher, William H. [D-KY-2], Rep. Moorhead, Carlos J. [R-CA-22], Rep. Emery, David F. [R-ME-1], Rep. Johnston, Eugene (Gene) [R-NC-6], Rep. Tauke, Thomas Joseph [R-IA-2], Rep. Findley, Paul [R-IL-20], Rep. Ritter, Don [R-PA-15], Sen. Gramm, Phil [R-TX], Rep. Fuqua, Don [D-FL-2], Rep. Fields, Jack [R-TX-8], Rep. Bailey, Wendell [R-MO-8], Rep. Smith, Denny [R-OR-5], Sen. Snowe, Olympia J. [R-ME], Rep. Duncan, John J. [R-TN-2], Rep. Jeffries, Jim [R-KS-2], Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4], Rep. Archer, Bill [R-TX-7], Rep. Paul, Ron [R-TX-14], Rep. Forsythe, Edwin B. [R-NJ-6], Rep. Hopkins, Larry J. [R-KY-6], Rep. Cheney, Dick [R-WY-At Large], Rep. Hammerschmidt, John P. [R-AR-3], Rep. Young, C. W. Bill [R-FL-13], Rep. Ireland, Andrew P. [R-FL-10], Rep. Hutto, Earl [D-FL-1], Rep. Coyne, James K. [R-PA-8], Rep. de la Garza, E. [D-TX-15], Rep. Hall, Sam B., Jr. [D-TX-1], Rep. Yatron, Gus [D-PA-6]
Subjects
Discovery layer
Source updated
29 August 2025
Summary
Broadcast Licensing, Renewal, and Deregulation Act of 1981 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to establish new procedures for reviewing petitions to deny broadcast license applications. Requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to grant a license renewal application by a radio or television broadcast station licensee unless the actions of the licensee evidence such serious disregard for the Communications Act and for the rules and policies of the FCC that denial of the application is justified. Prohibits the FCC from considering the applications of other persons for a broadcast station's facilities when the FCC is acting upon a license renewal application by a radio or television broadcast station. Permits persons holding construction permits or station licenses to transfer the permit or license without first obtaining an FCC finding that the transfer serves the public interest. Requires the FCC to be notified of such transfer. Provides for public notice of the transfer. Provides for disposition by the FCC of objections to such transfer. Prohibits the FCC from considering whether the public interest would be served by the transfer of the permit or license involved to a different person. Repeals certain provisions relating to the application of the antitrust laws. Prohibits the FCC from imposing requirements on radio or television licensees relating to: (1) programs; (2) programming formats; (3) ascertainment; (4) commercialization; and (5) maintenance of program logs.
This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.
Timeline
16 December 1981
Introduced
Referred to House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Source: IntroReferral
16 December 1981
Introduced
Introduced in House
Source: IntroReferral
16 December 1981
Introduced
Introduced in House
Source: IntroReferral
25 January 1982
Referred
Referred to Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Consumer Protection and Finance.
Source: Committee
Votes
No vote records are attached yet.
Versions
No version snapshots stored. Document URLs remain at the source.
Documents
1 official file
Leesvertaling
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Introduced in House
summary · EN · 16 December 1981
Sponsors
- Rep. Collins, James M. [R-TX-3] · R · Sponsor
- Rep. Volkmer, Harold L. [D-MO-9] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Hubbard, Carroll, Jr. [D-KY-1] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Bliley, Tom [R-VA-7] · R · Sponsor
- Rep. Broyhill, James T. [R-NC-10] · R · Sponsor
- Rep. O'Brien, George M. [R-IL-4] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Brown, Clarence, Jr. [R-OH-7] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Whittaker, Bob [R-KS-5] · R · Cosponsor
- Sen. Shelby, Richard C. [R-AL] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Rhodes, John J. [R-AZ-1] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Skeen, Joe [R-NM-2] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Anthony, Beryl, Jr. [D-AR-4] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Taylor, G. [R-MO-7] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Davis, Robert W. [R-MI-11] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Wilson, Charles [D-TX-2] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Snyder, M. G. (Gene) [R-KY-4] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Rogers, Harold [R-KY-5] · R · Cosponsor
- Sen. Coats, Daniel [R-IN] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Perkins, Carl Dewey [D-KY-7] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Natcher, William H. [D-KY-2] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Moorhead, Carlos J. [R-CA-22] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Emery, David F. [R-ME-1] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Johnston, Eugene (Gene) [R-NC-6] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Tauke, Thomas Joseph [R-IA-2] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Findley, Paul [R-IL-20] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Ritter, Don [R-PA-15] · R · Cosponsor
- Sen. Gramm, Phil [R-TX] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Fuqua, Don [D-FL-2] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Fields, Jack [R-TX-8] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Bailey, Wendell [R-MO-8] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Smith, Denny [R-OR-5] · R · Cosponsor
- Sen. Snowe, Olympia J. [R-ME] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Duncan, John J. [R-TN-2] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Jeffries, Jim [R-KS-2] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Archer, Bill [R-TX-7] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Paul, Ron [R-TX-14] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Forsythe, Edwin B. [R-NJ-6] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Hopkins, Larry J. [R-KY-6] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Cheney, Dick [R-WY-At Large] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Hammerschmidt, John P. [R-AR-3] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Young, C. W. Bill [R-FL-13] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Ireland, Andrew P. [R-FL-10] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Hutto, Earl [D-FL-1] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Coyne, James K. [R-PA-8] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. de la Garza, E. [D-TX-15] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Hall, Sam B., Jr. [D-TX-1] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Yatron, Gus [D-PA-6] · D · Cosponsor
Showing 48 of 104 sponsors and actors.
Related records
No cross-record relationships stored yet.
Sources
PoliticalRepo is an index and interpretation layer, not the authoritative legal source.
- Official source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/97th-congress/house-bill/5242
- Open data entity: https://api.congress.gov/v3/bill/97/hr/5242
- us · 97-hr-5242 · source updated 29 August 2025