Metro Broadcasting, Inc. v. FCC

Metro Broadcasting, Inc. v. FCC, 497 U.S. 547 (1990), was a case decided by the Supreme Court of the United States that held that intermediate scrutiny should be applied to equal protection challenges to federal statutes using benign racial classifications for a non-remedial purpose. The Court distinguished the previous year's decision City of Richmond v. J.A. Croson Co., by noting that it applied only to actions by state and local governments. Metro Broadcasting was overruled by Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Peña, which held that strict scrutiny should be applied to federal laws that use benign racial classifications. This opinion was the last authored by William J. Brennan Jr., the longtime leader of the Court's liberal wing.