FCC unlikely to revoke broadcasting licenses for Fox, say experts

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is unlikely to heed calls from activists to revoke the US broadcasting licenses of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp., experts say.

A review of FCC and court records show the FCC has only revoked a handful of licenses since broadcast law was established in 1934, and hasn’t taken a major action of that kind in more than 20 years. Peter Tannenwald, an attorney at Fletcher, Heald and Hildreth, said the FCC has moved to revoke licenses in the past, but never against a broadcaster with the size and clout of News Corp. "For anybody this big? I think not." Even if the FCC moved against News Corp., Tannenwald said it would likely take more than a decade to resolve the court battle that would ensue.