Federal Communications Commission

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Federal Communications Commission

United States government agency

Also known as: FCC

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Jun 15, 2025 • Article History

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Date:: 1934 - present

Areas Of Involvement:: telecommunication

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Federal Communications Commission (FCC), independent agency of the U.S. federal government. Established in 1934, it regulates interstate and foreign communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable.

Its standards and regulations apply only to the technical aspects, including frequency and equipment, of communication systems, not broadcast content (apart from certain rules covering obscenity and slander).

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Maren Goldberg.