Federal regulation of broadcasting, whether by radio or television, is comprehensive. By the Communications Act's licensing provision federal law governs who may broadcast and over what frequencies. Under that statute and the regulations adopted pursuant to it, broadcast licenses may be issued only after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) determines that issuance is in the public interest.
Licensees' broadcasting discretion is subject to a number of important limits such as the personal attack rule,
the fairness doctrine,
the prime-time access rule,
and the equal opportunity rule.
Federal regulations also govern billing for media advertising,
refusal to sell advertising time,
sponsorship information,
alcoholic beverage advertising,
amounts of commercial time,
penalties for false, misleading, or deceptive advertising,
loudness of commercials,
and the number of commercials permitted during a given program.