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FG 118 (Federal Communications Commission) (White House Central Files: Subject Files)

Scope and Content Note

The file FG 118 contains correspondence and memoranda regarding the Federal Communications Commission. The Commission was created by the Communications Act of 1934 (48 Stat. 1064), and administers the act, as amended. The Commission is made up of seven Commissioners appointed by the President for seven-year terms with one designated as Chairman.

The Federal Communications Commission was established, in the words of the 1934 act, "for the purpose of regulating interstate and foreign commerce in communication by wire and radio so as to make available, so far as possible, to all people of the United States a rapid, efficient, nationwide, and worldwide wire and radio communication service with adequate facilities at reasonable charges."

Principal correspondents include the President, Clay Whitehead, Director of the Office of Telecommunications, Peter Flanigan, Assistant to the President, Herb Klein, Director of Communications for the Executive Branch, and Dean Burch, Chairman of the Commissioners of the Federal Communications Commission from 1969 to March, 1974.

The Executive folders of FG 118 contain chiefly White House internal memoranda and correspondence with the Federal Communications Commission regarding issues under the jurisdiction of the FCC. These include appointments to the Federal Communications Commission, Cable television, and satellite communication. The General folders contain letters from the general public which deal with subjects similar to those found in the Executive folders: recommendations for appointments to the Federal Communications Commission, comments on decisions of the FCC, and requests for White House intervention in cases before the FCC.

On the folders, the terms Executive and General are used in the titles to indicate separation of documents according to source and handling. "Executive" items include communication among national, foreign, and state and local governments and their agencies, members of Congress, and selected prominent correspondents. "General" designates communications between Government officials and private citizens, institutions, and private interest groups. Where "/A" follows a numeric file designation, it indicates files relating to appointments, nominations, and resignations within that organization.

Some of the files related to FG 118 include:

White House Central Files: Subject Files

FG 102 Communications Satellite Corporation

UT 1 Utilities: Communications-Telecommunications

FG 118

This category contains letters and memoranda relating to the Federal Communications Commission. Documents include transmittal letters for monthly reports of activities of the FCC (the primary file designation for the reports is now generally FG 118, however), meetings between the Chairman of the FCC and the President, and memoranda regarding appointments to vacancies on the Commission.

FG 118/A

This sub-category contains Executive Orders, transmittal letters, and other documents relating to the appointments, nominations, and resignations within the Federal Communications Commission.

Folder Title List

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