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Media Ownership
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NHMC continues to work to diversify media ownership under the belief that diverse owners hire diverse employees, create diverse content and cover diverse news and public affairs. NHMC congratulates the FCC for moving forward to collect data on the state of broadcast media ownership. The newly-approved version of Form 323 will require broadcasters to submit biennial reports on the racial and ethnic backgrounds of station owners. This information is greatly needed so that the FCC can properly create and enforce policies to increase the dismal number of broadcast stations owned by people of color. NHMC thanks Angela Campbell, Adrienne Biddings and Guilherme Roschke of Georgetown Law's Institute for Public Representation (IPR) for their legal representation on this matter. While this is a good first step, we caution that the FCC has much work to do to in this arena, and another good step would be to reinstitute Form 395 EEO reporting. NHMC will monitor, and to the extent necessary, participate in the FCC's Quadrennial Review of its broadcast ownership regulations to ensure that people of color become better represented in mainstream media. In addition, NHMC is poised to challenge the individual licenses of stations that are not in compliance with the FCC's ownership regulations. For example, on June 14th with IPR's counsel, NHMC filed a joint petition to deny the transfer of Tribune broadcast stations. If our petition to deny is granted, it will result in more media diversity and stymie further consolidation. The petition to deny is also significant because it will lead to the FCC's first examination of broadcast conglomerates under the deregulatory version of the newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership rule and will set precedent for how this new version of the rule is enforced. That petition to deny can be read here.
NHMC and Others Ask FCC to Adopt Advisory Committee's Recommendation, Apply a Disadvantage Preference to Spectrum Auctions In Comments filed by the Institute for Public Representation, NHMC and other urged the FCC to adopt the recommendation of the Advisory Committee on Diversity for Communications in the Digital Age and add a "Disadvantage Preference" to existing spectrum auctions. This preference would make it easier persons who have overcome a disadvantage to compete with others to obtain spectrum vital to their business ventures. To read the Comments, please click here.
NHMC Joins Other Major Organizations and Respected Academics, Asks the FCC to Make Form 323 Ownership Information Available to the Public in a Meaningful Way On February 2, NHMC joined other major major civil rights organizations, media reform organizations, public policy institutes, labor organizations, academics, and other organizations and individuals concerned about the lack of racial and gender diversity in media ownership to renew requests that the FCC to make data collected using Form 323 available to the public in a comprehensive, reliable, and searchable database. Only then can the data be used to develop ways to increase the historically low levels of minority and female media ownership and ensure that diverse voices exist in the media. To read the letter filed with the FCC, please click here.
Over Three Dozen Diverse Organizations Urge the FCC to Reinstate Collection of Equal Employment Opportunity Data Washington, D.C. This evening more than three dozen organizations filed a letter calling on the Federal Communications Commission to reinstate collection of equal employment opportunity, or “EEO”, data. The letter was submitted in support of National Hispanic Media Coalition’s (NHMC) reply comment filed in mid-September. From 1970 through 2000, every broadcast station was required to report the number of employees in each of nine job categories by race and gender. Members of the public could gain access to this data by visiting the station and looking at the public file or by going to FCC headquarters. The FCC used this data to compile annual “trend reports” tracking the aggregate percentage of people of color and women employed in each job category. Although the Commission decided to reinstitute this data collection in 2004, that decision has never been implemented. “The FCC's aspiration to be an agency that is open, transparent, and driven by data, is significantly undermined by its continued failure to implement its 2004 decision to collect statistics needed by the FCC and the public to assess whether minorities and women are being afforded equal employment opportunities in the media. It's been more than six years since the FCC decided to reinstate the requirement that broadcast stations file,” said Professor Angela Campbell, director of Georgetown Law’s Institute for Public Representation, who has been representing NHMC on this matter. Angelo Falcon, Executive Director of the National Institute for Latino Policy based in New York added, “EEO data is an indispensable tool that people in local communities can use to hold their media organizations accountable.” In the past, Falcon, a longstanding member of NHMC’s Board of Directors, utilized this data to produce a diversity report on New York City television broadcasters. “The large number of prestigious organizations lending their support on this letter illustrates that this is an issue that the public cares about a great deal,” stated NHMC’s President and CEO, Alex Nogales. “We hope very soon to be congratulating the FCC for ending this unnecessary delay.” The organizations signing onto the letter include: Access Humboldt; AfterDark CATV PRO; Alliance for Community Media; Alliance for Women in Media; Asian American Justice Center; Benton Foundation; Center for Media Justice; Chicago Media Action; Committee for Hispanic Children and Families, Inc.; Common Cause; Communications Workers of America; Dr. Clara E. Rodriguez, Professor, Fordham University, Department of Sociology & Anthropology; Free Press; Future of Music Coalition; Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU); Hispanic National Bar Association; Industry Ears; Media Access Project; Media Alliance; Media and Democracy Coalition; Media Working Group; Minority Media and Telecommunications Council; National Association of Hispanic Federal Executives; National Association of Hispanic Journalists; National Association of Hispanic Publications; National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP); National Conference of Puerto Rican Women, Inc. (NACOPRW); New America Foundation, Open Technology Initiative; National Hispana Leadership Institute (NHLI); National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC); National Institute of Latino Policy (NiLP); Office of Communication, United Church of Christ, Inc.; Public Knowledge; Reclaim the Media; SueWilsonReports; The Transmission Project; United States Hispanic Leadership Institute; UNITY: Journalists of Color; and Women in Media & News (WIMN).
NHMC Urges FCC To Reinstate Collection Of Employment Data Today NHMC filed reply comments with the FCC, urging the agency to promptly reinstate collection of valuable EEO data. From 1970 through 2000, the FCC collected data about the gender and racial make-up of broadcast station employees, allowing the agency, Congress and the public to hold broadcasters accountable to greater diversity and inclusion in their employment ranks. NHMC often used this data for that exact purpose, an example of which can be found in NHMC's 2001 report, "Still on the Outside Looking In," a detailed account of NYC television broadcaster employment from 1997 through 2000, which can be read here. Unfortunately, the FCC has failed to collect this data for the past decade, making it more difficult for watchdogs to assess and advocate for employment parity. In the absence of significant media ownership by people of color, employment parity is an imperative. NHMC's comment can be read here.
Destination Casa Blanca: Comcast's Agreement To Extend Spanish Programming Ray Suarez and guest panelists, Joe Torres, Jessica Gonzalez, and Tyrone Brown discuss the Memorandum of Understanding made between Comcast and Latino Organizations where Comcast agrees to extend Spanish program if the merger with NBC is approved.
Destination Casa Blanca: The Downstream Effect of Low Media Minority Ownership Ray Suarez and guest panelists Jessica Gonzalez, Joe Torres and Tyrone Brown discuss why media ownership makes a difference in programming and portrayal of Latinos who reside in the US.
Comcast/NBC Universal Merger In furtherance of its goal to ensure that Comcast and NBCU increase efforts to diversify their workforce, corporate governance, procurement, philanthropy and community investments, and programming, NHMC signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") with Comcast and NBCU in late June. The MOU, executed in partnership with other leading Hispanic civil rights organizations, will create more opportunities for Latinos in the media, telecommunications and entertainment industries. To be clear, NHMC does not see this MOU as a solution to the ills of media consolidation. If you will remember, in early June NHMC President and CEO, Alex Nogales, testifed on the merger at a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee in Los Angeles. His testimony is available here. Alex explained his reasoning for signing the MOU in a op-ed published on the Huffington Post web-site in mid-July. The MOU is now publicly available on the FCC web-site. NHMC Challenges Tribune Media Conglomerate All broadcast stations are licensed through the FCC to serve the public. NHMC has a history of challenging the licenses of stations that are not in compliance with the FCC's ownership regulations or that fail to fulfill their public service obligations. For example, on June 14th represented by counsel from Georgetown Law's Institute for Public Representation, NHMC filed a joint petition to deny the transfer of Tribune broadcast stations. If our petition to deny is granted, it will result in more media diversity and stymie further consolidation. The petition to deny is also significant because it will lead to the FCC's first examination of broadcast conglomerates under the deregulatory version of the newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership rule and will set precedent for how this new version of the rule is enforced. That petition to deny can be read here and a reply in support of the petition, here.
NHMC Advocates for More Diversity, Competition and Localism in Broadcast Media The Office of Communication of the United Church of Christ, Inc., Prometheus Radio Project, Media Alliance, National Organization for Women, National Hispanic Media Coalition, Common Cause, and Benton Foundation are pleased that the FCC has begun a comprehensive review of its media ownership rules. As the Commission begins its 2010 Quadrennial Review of broadcast ownership limits, it should keep foremost in mind that the rules are intended to ensure that the general listening and viewing public have access to diverse and competing sources of local news so that they can be active participants in our democratic system. To accomplish this goal, the Commission must also complete pending proceedings on the public interest obligations of digital television stations, enhanced disclosure, and localism. The Commission cannot make rational decisions about structural rules without addressing behavioral rules as well. Nor can it evaluate the effectiveness of its policies without information about how broadcast stations are serving their communities. The Commission should not change its rules simply because some stations are experiencing short term economic difficulties. The Commission should promote the public interest in diversity, competition and localism by tightening up the current limits. In reviewing the local television rule, the FCC should consider whether allowing duopolies remains justified in light of television stations’ ability to digitally multicast. It should assess whether the failing station rule is working as intended to promote opportunities for minorities and women to obtain broadcast stations. It should also investigate whether “shared services arrangements” and “local news services” agreements are being used to circumvent the local television rule and/or undermine the goal of ensuring diverse and competitive sources of local news. The Commission should lower the numerical limits for radio station ownership to create more opportunities for minorities and women to enter the radio business. It should also close loopholes in the newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership rule. Finally, the Commission should eliminate the UHF Discount, which discounts the audience reach of UHF television stations by 50% for purposes of determining the national audience limit, which Congress set at 39%. The digital transition has rendered the UHF discount moot because UHF stations are now comparable to VHF, and in fact, many former VHF stations have changed to UHF. If the FCC fails to eliminate the UHF Discount, large group owners may try to expand their audience reach in contravention of Congressional intent. Click here to read the full filing.
NHMC Asks FCC to Study the Impact its Ownership Rules have had on Broadcast Station Ownership by Minorities and Women The Office of Communication of the United Church of Christ, Inc., Prometheus Radio Project, Media Alliance, National Organization for Women, National Hispanic Media Coalition, Communications Workers of America, The Benton Foundation, Common Cause, and Media Council Hawai`i respectfully submit these comments in response to the Federal Communications Commission’s ("FCC" or "Commission") request for suggestions on additional studies. At a minimum, we believe that the FCC should undertake additional studies to assess the impact of its current ownership limits on minorities and women and to assess the impact of new types of sharing arrangements between television stations. Click here to read the full filing. |