Citizens Groups Ask FCC to Address Diversity in Telecom, Media Ownership and Programming
A coalition of public interest organizations sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski yesterday, calling on the Commission to make increased diversity in the media and broadband communications landscape a top priority. The groups issued the following joint statement:
“Historically marginalized communities still face countless barriers to their own members’ provision and ownership of communications services. The Communications Act instructs the Commission to examine these barriers and take steps to eliminate them. This Commission has taken strides in this area, yet much work remains to be done to address persistent and growing digital divides.
“We urge the Commission to implement better data-gathering practices regarding the ownership of media outlets by minorities and women, and to examine diversity in pending proceedings at the Commission. For instance, we ask that extensive studies be conducted regarding the potential impact of the proposed merger between Comcast and NBC Universal on the diversity of voices in ownership and programming.”
The signatories to the letter include Afro-Netizen, Alliance for Community Media, Benton Foundation, Prof. Angela Campbell of Georgetown Law, The Center for Media Justice, Center for Rural Strategies, Free Press, Main Street Project, Media Access Project, Media Alliance, Mountain Area Information Network, National Alliance for Media Arts & Culture, National Association of Hispanic Journalists, National Federation of Community Broadcasters, Public Knowledge, Reclaim the Media, Texas Media Empowerment Project, United Church of Christ Office of Communication, Inc., and U.S. Public Interest Research Group.
