Hansen v. Federal Communications Commission
Decision Date | 17 April 1969 |
Docket Number | No. 22013.,22013. |
Citation | 413 F.2d 374 |
Parties | W. H. HANSEN, Appellant, v. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION, Appellee. |
Court | U.S. Court of Appeals — District of Columbia Circuit |
Mr. Edward J. Kuhlmann, Counsel, Federal Communications Commission, with whom Messrs. Henry Geller, General Counsel, John H. Conlin, Associate General Counsel, and Mrs. Lenore G. Ehrig, Counsel, Federal Communications Commission, were on the brief, for appellee. Mr. Joseph A. Marino, Counsel, Federal Communications Commission, also entered an appearance for appellee.
Before BAZELON, Chief Judge, BURGER and ROBINSON, Circuit Judges.
This is an appeal from decisions of the Federal Communications Commission finding Appellant's application for a radio license moot because the pre-existing license had been declared forfeit.
Appellant was the original licensee of radio station KDAN, Eureka, California. In 1959 he assigned this license to Radio KDAN, taking back a purchase money mortgage as part of the consideration for the sale. In 1961 KDAN defaulted on the mortgage and, through foreclosure proceedings, Appellant regained possession of the station's real and personal property. During this period, however, Radio KDAN had been "off the air" for ten months without Commission approval.
While this application was pending, Radio KDAN filed a separate application to assign its license to one Phil Jackson; Appellant filed a Petition to Deny this application. The Commission denied the KDAN-Jackson application on the ground that it "contemplated little more than the sale of the naked license" and that "Commission policy bars such a sale."2 At the same time the Commission dismissed Appellant's assignment petition on the grounds that the license had been forfeited by Radio KDAN for non-use,3 thereby rendering moot Appellant's application.
In a footnote to its decision the Commission addressed itself to the efficacy of the mortgage "rider," and declared the clause "void ab initio since it attempts to retain for Appellant a reversionary interest in the KDAN license, and as such is expressly forbidden by Section 73.19 of the Commission's rules." At the close of the same footnote the Commission stated that "we need not treat of this matter at length, however, because our action today in declaring forfeit the KDAN license renders it moot." In subsequently denying Appellant's petition for reconsideration the Commission recited both the prior finding of forfeiture for non-use and the invalidity of the mortgage "rider".
In urging reversal Appellant argues that the Commission erred in holding that the mortgage "rider" clause was void ab initio. We find it unnecessary to reach this issue, however, since the Commission's dispositive action was to cancel KDAN's...
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