Federal Communications Commission
(U.S. government agency regulating TV, radio) Enforced the Fairness Doctrine against the tobacco companies; required time be provided on TV, radio for anti-smoking commercials.The abbreviation for the Federal Communications Commission is FCC. In the late 1960s , the FCC, prodded by the legal action of antismoking activist John Banzahf, applied the Fairness Doctrine to cigarette promotion and soon the air was filled with antismoking spots (L. White, Merchants 1988). In 1970, Congress banned cigarette advertising from radio and television, effective January 1971 (L. White Merchants 1988), See Banzhaf v. FCC, 405 F. 2d 1082 (D.C. Cir. 1968) (affirming FCC ruling that radio and television stations must devote a significant amount of broadcast time to the case against smoking).