I. Recommended Resource
Communications Regulation / Pike & Fischer. Bethesda, MD : Pike & Fischer, 1995-
A convenient and comprehensive source of primary materials. Features “News and Analysis”
of recent developments: the Telecommunications Law Report newsletter; links to the FCC's
Daily Digest; statutes; treaties; FCC rules and Notices of Proposed Rulemaking; digests and
full-text of commission and court decisions. Online edition updated daily.
Supersedes (in part) Pike and Fischer Radio Regulation.
Law Library Reference KF2810.A6R333
Web access licensed by the Law Library for use in the Law Building and by the Law School
community remotely. http://commreg.pf.com.libproxy.law.wisc.edu/
II. Primary Sources
A. Federal Statutes and Regulations:
First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (free speech, free press) U.S. Const. amend. I
Radio Act of 1927 (Created the Federal Radio Commission) 44 Stat. 1162 (1927) -
Predecessor of Communications Act of 1934
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. §151 et. seq (2000)) as amended.
All federal statutes dealing with electronic communications can be found in Title 47 of
the United States Code, parts 0-199. Part 151 contains the charter of the FCC.
Annotated codes have supplements that update sections more frequently than the official
United States Code.
United States Code Annotated: Quarles & Brady Reading Room, stack 27 and
Westlaw
United States Code Service: Quarles & Brady Reading Room, stacks 24-26 and
LexisNexis
FCC Regulations:
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) - Title 47, Telecommunications -
Annual codification by subject of the FCC regulations in force -
Quarles & Brady Reading Room stack 29, GPO Access:
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/index.html
Federal Register - Daily (weekdays) Updates the annual CFR.
Current year, print-- Quarles & Brady Reading Room stack 29, GPO Access:
http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS1756
B. Administrative & Court Decisions
FCC Record : a Comprehensive Compilation of Decisions, Reports, Public Notices and
Other Documents of the Federal Communications Commission of the United States.
Washington, DC : FCC, 1986-
Vol. 1, no. 1 (Oct. 1-10, 1986)- U.S. Documents Collection CC 1.12/3
Communications Regulation (Pike & Fischer) PDFs at
http://commreg.pf.com/searchFCCRecord.asp?reset=true
LexisNexis and Westlaw
Previous title: Federal Communications Commission Reports, v. 1 (July 1934)-v. 45 (July
26, 1965); Second Series, v. 1 (July 7, 1965 to Dec. 27, 1965)-v. 104 (Oct. 1986) U.S.
Documents Collection CC 1.12: and CC 1.12/2:
See also Communications Regulation, section I, supra.
Reporters of federal court decisions are located in the Quarles & Brady Reading Room
on the fifth floor, east wing. They're also available online through LexisNexis and
Westlaw.
Federal and state court decisions related to communications law are also published in
Pike & Fischer Radio Regulation and Communications Regulation, see section I, supra.
BNA's Media Law Reporter
A weekly full text case service that reports court decisions affecting newspapers,
magazines, radio television, film and other media. Subjects regularly addressed in the
reported decisions are libel, invasion of privacy, obscenity and broadcast regulation. This
set does not contain texts of statutes, regulations, or administrative agency material. Law
Library Reference KF2750.A513
C. Legislative histories
Paglin, Max D., editor. A Legislative History of the Communications Act of 1934. New
York : Oxford University Press, 1988. - Law Library KF2762.113.A15/1988
Schwartz, Bernard, ed. "Communications Act of 1934," in The Economic Regulation of
Business and Industry : a Legislative History of U.S. Regulatory Agencies. 5 vols. New
York : Chelsea House, 1973. (See volume 4) - Law Library KF5407.S34
Sloan, Irving, ed. "The Communications Act of 1934," in American Landmark
Legislation: primary materials. 6 vols. Dobbs Ferry, NY : Oceana Publications, 1976.
(See volume 5) - Law Library KF68.S5 1976
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 : Law and Legislative History. Bethesda, MD : Pike
& Fischer, 1996. - Law Library Reference KF2810.A6/R335/1996
The Telecommunications Act : a Legislative History of the Major Amendments, 1934-
1996. Silver Spring, MD : Pike & Fischer, 1999. - Law Library
KF2762.113.A16P34/1999
LexisNexis Congressional - Law Library Web Site,
http://www.lexisnexis.com.libproxy.law.wisc.edu/congcomp
Use for other federal laws for which there aren't compiled legislative histories.
D. Treaties
Communications Regulation / Pike & Fischer. Bethesda, MD : Pike & Fischer, 1995-
Law Library Reference KF2810.A6/R333 & at http://commreg.pf.com/
Pike and Fischer Radio Regulation. Bethesda, MD : Pike and Fischer. (See Finding Aids
Star volume 1) - Law Library Reference KF2810.A6 R33
III. Secondary sources
A. Books/treatises/annuals--Access is through MadCat, the campus online catalog
Library of Congress subject headings include such areas as:
Artificial satellites in telecommunications - Law and legislation
Broadcasting - Law and legislation
Cable television - Law and legislation
Communication and traffic - Law and legislation (Works on the
communications industries treated collectively)
Equal time rule (Broadcasting)
High definition television
Mass media--Law and legislation
Obscenity (law)
Press law
Radio--Law and legislation
Radio broadcasting
Television broadcasting
Telecommunication--Law and legislation
Violence on television - Law and legislation
B. Telecommunications law periodicals in the Law Library (Electronic availability noted
next to each title.)
CommLaw Conspectus : Journal of Communications Law and Policy - LexisNexis,
Westlaw, & Hein Online
Communications and the Law - Communications and Media Complete, Hein Online
Communications Lawyer - Westlaw
Federal Communications Law Journal - ABI/Inform Global, ProQuest Research Library,
LexisNexis, Westlaw, Hein Online
Hastings Communications and Entertainment Law Journal (Comm/Ent) - LexisNexis,
Hein Online
Journal on Telecommunications and High Technology Law - Westlaw
Media Law and Policy - LexisNexis, Westlaw
News Media and the Law - ProQuest Research Library
C. Indices
Use to locate periodical articles in the journals listed in part B (supra.) as well as other
specialized journals and general law reviews.
1.Legal Resource Index - LexisNexis & Westlaw
2.Index to Legal Periodicals - Campus library network, LexisNexis, & Westlaw
IV. Updating the law
Pocket parts; supplements; Shepard's Citations on LexisNexis; KeyCite on Westlaw;
“Subsequent History Table,” Finding Aids/Master Index volume of Communications
Regulation.
V. Internet Websites
Government:
Federal Communications Commission home page - http://www.fcc.gov
National Telecommunications & Information Administration - http://www.ntia.doc.gov
Organizations:
American Bar Association Forum on Communications Law -
http://www.abanet.org/forums/communication/home.html
Cybertelecom - http://cybertelecom.org