FCC Recommends Renewal Of Studies Examining Market-Entry Barriers To Women, Minorities
Agency's Diversity Committee Wants Adarand Renewal
John Eggerton -- Multichannel News, 9/22/2009 10:47:35 PM
The Federal Communication Commission's Diversity Committee has recommended that the agency renew its Adarand studies examining market entry barriers to women and minorities, and to make sure that the peer-reviewed studies have sufficient funding so that the result could meet the standards of a reviewing court.
The Supreme Court's Adarand decision held that "federal affirmative action programs that use racial and ethnic criteria as a basis for decisionmaking are subject to strict judicial scrutiny."
The committee wants to make sure the FCC's diversity initiatives can survive that scrutiny.
Until the FCC can come up with a new, and "constitutionally defensible method of promoting racial and gender diversity in media and telecommunications ownership," the committee recommended that the FCC use a race and gender-neutral Full File Review.
That's a review in which the FCC would take into account an ownership applicant's "success in overcoming social disadvantages," which it finds is "predictive of entrepreneurial success and public service in media and telecommunications."
Those "social disadvantages could include "discrimination based on race, gender, national origin, language, disability, age, veteran status, and location of business operation in an economically depressed community or region," said the committee, adding that they were all race-neutral factors and that point should be made clear.
The committee also voted to restore the FCC's designated entity program and provided numerous recommendations for the national broadband plan, including incentives for high-speed broadband, a broadband hardware subsidy, expanding the E-rate program to include Internet literacy and training, and partnering with organizations that win broadband stimulus grants to help drive demand for broadband.
At a speech Tuesday, FCC commissioner and former acting chairman Michael Copps praised the moves. That came as no surprise, considering his first charge to the committee back in May was to consider the Full File Review route and developing the Adarand studies.
"I wholeheartedly welcome these recommendations," he said, "and I will be working for their prompt consideration -- and I underscore that word 'prompt' -- by the full commission."
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Here's the latest delicious irony in a sea of ironies from the FCC (a wonderfully ironic institution regardless of administration): Who is it that erects barriers to entry in TV station ownership? Well, none other than THE FCC! Or have they forgotten about the rule barring furr-en-ers from owning US TV stations(?) As for existing owners of TV stations, if you as a buyer have the money to pay their price, they'll sell to you no matter who you are! Will this FCC become the Fannie Mae of this admin.?
GuyFawkes - 9/23/2009 9:33:19 AM EDT -
Just wondering: why is the FCC trying for the 50th time to figure out a way to help minorities get a leg up in owning radio and tv stations? Is there that minority owners provide different programming that non-minority owners? And should anyone care? In case anyone hasn't noticed, the Internet exists, and people who want media diversity today have an unlimited supply of diverse content on the Net. Or perhaps the idea of FCC minority preferences is to economically empower minorities by giving them better "access" to the broadcasting business. Great idea, if it was 1960. But in case anyone hasn't noticed, broadcasting is a collapsing business. So if the goal is plunging some minority individuals into financial ruin, by all means, let's figure out a way to help them get into the broadcast business.
Rick Burleson - 9/23/2009 12:16:53 AM EDT
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