On October 23, 2018, the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) filed reply comments in response to the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC or Commission) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to revise children’s programming rules. NHMC urged the Commission to press pause on this proceeding, collect the requisite data, and conduct the analysis required under the Administrative Procedure Act to support any proposals for deregulation. Neither the NPRM nor the comments filed in the record meaningfully evaluate the unintended effects of deregulation. Further study would help ensure that already underserved and disadvantaged minority, low-income, and rural children are not deprived of widely accessible educational and informational (E/I) programming. Unquestionably, children low-income households without paid-television alternatives and those without access to broadband platforms lack adequate representation in this proceeding. Many still rely heavily on free educational programming to learn, however, the Commission did not evaluate how the current proposals will impact on children who may not be able to access costly alternatives in the new media landscape. Further, if the current programming standards and reporting requirements are dismantled, as proposed, quality educational content will eventually disappear from our public airwaves. The NPRM is laced with conclusions, many of which are neither supported by the FCC nor the record. Under the current proposals:
National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) is a woman-led 501(c)(3) non-profit civil and human rights organization that was founded to eliminate hate, discrimination, and racism toward the Latino communities.
Los Angeles, CA
Washington, DC