The United States Supreme Court case, United States et al. v. Storer Broadcasting Co., revolved around the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) denial of a television license to Storer Broadcasting Company due to its existing ownership of five other stations. The FCC had established rules limiting the number of licenses any one entity could hold in an effort to prevent monopolization and promote competition within the broadcasting industry. Storer argued that these rules were arbitrary and violated their rights under the Administrative Procedure Act and Fifth Amendment. However, in 1955, the Supreme Court upheld FCC’s decision stating that it was within their authority as a regulatory body to establish such limitations for public interest purposes even if they might seem harsh or unfair on individual cases like this one with Storer Broadcasting Co.. They also noted that while there may be some room for discretion in applying these regulations, it is not necessary for every rule made by an administrative agency like FCC to allow exceptions based on individual circumstances.

In the dissenting opinion for United States et al. v. Storer Broadcasting Co., Justice Black disagreed with the majority's decision to uphold FCC regulations that limited network broadcasting licenses. He argued that these restrictions were not in line with Congress' intent when they passed the Communications Act of 1934, which aimed to promote competition and prevent monopolies in radio communication services. Furthermore, he believed that such limitations could potentially stifle free speech by reducing diversity among broadcasters and limiting their ability to reach a wide audience. In his view, this was contrary to both democratic principles and First Amendment rights.