Embrace the Internet for Equal Employment Opportunity "Widely Disseminated Rule"

It comes as a surprise -- and a disappointment -- that we at the Federal Communications Commission don’t embrace the Internet when it comes to compliance with existing FCC rules. I previously highlighted that the Internet was the appropriate vehicle for providing broadcast contest rules, and the FCC has been updating our regulations accordingly, but the Internet may be just as important for communications companies trying to attract a diverse workforce.

The FCC’s application of one of its EEO rules is based on a remarkably outdated assessment of Internet deployment and access in the United States. I am not suggesting in any way that we alter or modify our overall EEO requirements. I wholeheartedly agree that wide dissemination of information about job opportunities can be one key element to assembling a diverse applicant pool. However, we need to recognize the current marketplace realities in terms of what types of communication should qualify as “widely disseminated.”