Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

Fritz Messere

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent American regulatory body created by an act of Congress on June 19, 1934. The FCC replaced the earlier Federal Radio Commission (1927–34) and expanded its authority to include wired communication. Today the FCC's role includes the licensing of all services that utilize spectrum. It reports directly to Congress, which supplies its budget. In the early 2000s, the commission had about 2,000 employees and a projected annual budget approaching $320 million. While the cost of administration is on the rise, the agency typically offsets its operational cost by charging application processing fees. Fiscal Year 2001 $312,505,000 Fiscal Year 2002 $337,334,000 Fiscal Year 2003 $369,380,000 Fiscal Year 2004 $361,011,000 Fiscal Year 2005 $368,287,000 Fiscal Year 2006 $377,038,000 Fiscal Year 2007 $385,132,000 Fiscal Year 2008 $408,913,0002 The 1934 Communications Act has been amended many times since its passage, though its basic core requirement—that services (including ...

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