Crawford: FCC Will Tackle Media Ownership Early On, Broadband A Priority

At the Minority Media & Telecommunications Conference in Washington, Susan Crawford -- special assistant to the President for Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy -- said, "Millions of Americans rely on over-the-air broadcasting. The administration understands the important role traditional terrestrial broadcasting continues to play," pointing to the high radio listenership of minorities, as one example of that importance. But Crawford also said that the FCC's broadband plan is the future of diversity. She said that the plan would be drafted "out of the K Street orbit," saying they were trying to open the process up. "This is the chance to talk about our future as a country...and the importance of the diversity of voices informing those policies." She said the FCC very much wanted to make sure all the voices are heard in the debate.