Group pushes FCC for renewed opportunities for small businesses, minorities

An ambitious campaign has begun to press the new Obama administration and Congress to embrace policies promoting diversity in telecom and media sectors. The effort is geared in part to foster improved opportunities for minorities and women in the wireless space by overturning the Federal Communications Commission's small business bidder rules, which are being litigated in a Philadelphia federal appeals court. "We wasted eight years," said David Honig, executive director of the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council, at a legislative briefing on Capitol Hill. "We are behind where we were in 2000 in so many ways." MMTC, Council Tree Communications Inc. and Bethel Native Corp. are challenging FCC small business, or designated entity, bidder guidelines that the Commission — under former Chairman Kevin Martin — approved before the advanced wireless services-1 auction in 2006. The rules were also in effect during last year's 700 MHz auction.