Sec. 0.5  General description of Commission organization and operations.

    (a) Principal staff units. The Commission is assisted in the 
performance of its responsibilities by its staff, which is divided into 
the following principal units:
    (1) Office of Managing Director.
    (2) Office of Engineering and Technology.
    (3) Office of General Counsel.
    (4) Office of Plans and Policy.
    (5) Office of Public Affairs.
    (6) Office of Legislative Affairs.
    (7) Office of Administrative Law Judges.
    (8) Office of Inspector General.
    (9) Mass Media Bureau.

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    (10) Common Carrier Bureau.
    (11) Wireless Telecommunications Bureau.
    (12) International Bureau.
    (13) Cable Services Bureau.
    (14) Compliance and Information Bureau.
    (b) Staff responsibilities and functions. The organization and 
functions of these major staff units are described in detail in 
Secs. 0.11 through 0.151. The defense and emergency preparedness 
functions of the Commission are set forth separately, beginning at 
Sec. 0.181. For a complete description of staff functions, reference 
should be made to those provisions. (See also the U.S. Government 
Organization Manual, which contains a chart showing the Commission's 
organization, the names of the members and principal staff officers of 
the Commission, and other information concerning the Commission.)
    (c) Delegations of authority to the staff. Pursuant to section 5(c) 
of the Communications Act, the Commission has delegated authority to its 
staff to act on matters which are minor or routine or settled in nature 
and those in which immediate action may be necessary. See subpart B of 
this part. Actions taken under delegated authority are subject to review 
by the Commission, on its own motion or on an application for review 
filed by a person aggrieved by the action. Except for the possibility of 
review, actions taken under delegated authority have the same force and 
effect as actions taken by the Commission. The delegation of authority 
to a staff officer, however, does not mean that he will exercise that 
authority in all matters subject to the delegation. In non-hearing 
matters, the staff is at liberty to refer any matter at any stage to the 
Commission for action, upon concluding that it involves matters 
warranting the Commission's consideration, and the Commission may 
instruct the staff to do so.
    (d) Commission action. Matters requiring Commission action, or 
warranting its consideration, are dealt with by the Commission at 
regular monthly meetings, or at special meetings called to consider a 
particular matter. Meetings are normally held at the principal offices 
of the Commission in the District of Columbia, but may be held elsewhere 
in the United States. In appropriate circumstances, Commission action 
may be taken between meetings ``by circulation'', which involves the 
submission of a document to each of the Commissioners for his approval.

(Secs. 4(i), 303(r) and 5(c)(i), Communications Act of 1934, as amended; 
47 CFR 0.61 and 0.283)
[32 1997 FR 10569 , July 19, 1967, as amended at  62 FR 4170 , Jan. 29, 1997]

    Editorial Note: For Federal Register citations affecting Sec. 0.5, 
see the List of CFR Sections Affected in the Finding Aids section of 
this volume.

                       Office of Managing Director