National Hispanic Media Coalition

Five diverse public interest groups spoke out about AT&T’s recent decision to opt out of the Lifeline broadband program and urged them to reconsider participating to offer the modest discount that Lifeline provides to low-income families struggling to afford broadband. Despite supporting the inclusion of broadband within the modernized Lifeline program, AT&T has officially filed for forbearance from the Lifeline broadband Internet access service requirements. This decision would confine their extension of Lifeline broadband to only very limited regions of its service territory.

“Benton is extremely disappointed with AT&T’s decision and the impact it will have on home broadband adoption for the most vulnerable families in the US,” said Amina Fazlullah, Director of Policy at Benton Foundation: “Teamed with FCC Lifeline program subsidies, AT&T could have been a leader in providing affordable broadband service for qualified, low-income families. We could have seen an incredible rise in broadband adoption by addressing the number one barrier to subscriptions: cost. This is an unfortunate failure to take advantage of a meaningful public-private partnership. We hope AT&T will reconsider its decision.”

Dec 2016, the Federal Communications Commission's Lifeline modernization order will finally go into effect, empowering millions of low-income Americans with the resources to access high-speed Internet. Lifeline’s modernization couldn’t come at a more critical time. Half of all Latinos lack broadband access at home, and high monthly costs are most often cited as the primary barrier for non-adoption. Further, 69% of Americans find the lack of home broadband access to be a major disadvantage.

Beginning December 2, broadband providers will have the option to provide Lifeline-eligible services that meet certain FCC minimum standards. Wireless data plans must offer at least 500 mb/month, and fixed broadband service must offer 150 GB at download speeds of 10 mbps and upload speeds of 1 mbps. Participants interested in mobile voice-only plans can continue to apply the subsidy to plans offering at least 500 voice minutes. Starting in December 2017, the subsidies for voice-only plans will gradually decline until these plans are completely phased out of the Lifeline program in 2021.

Also going into effect this December will be new Lifeline eligibility guidelines. Consumers can continue to automatically qualify for Lifeline benefits through participation in federal assistance programs such as Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Federal Public Housing Assistance. Consumers receiving Veterans Pension or Survivors Pension benefits will also now be eligible. Participants will also still be able to qualify by proving they earn less than 135% of the federal poverty level. However, customers will no longer be able to use Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), National School Lunch Program (NSLP), or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) to automatically qualify.

Also beginning in December, the National Hispanic Media Coalition will begin working with allies and broadband providers to ensure low-income families across the country can take advantage of Lifeline and stay connected with loved ones, vital government resources, and homework help. We’ll be working with other community organizations to sponsor events across the country to help consumers sign up for Lifeline benefits.

Gray Television announced that it had secured new, diverse owners for six television stations that it had acquired and previously operated under shared service agreements.

The divestitures appear to be the direct result of recent statements by the Federal Communications Commission indicating that it would scrutinize any transfers of licenses that involve sidecar deals that indicate control or influence.

In Colorado, Gray will transfer one station to an Asian American husband and wife ownership team.

In North Dakota, one station will be transferred to a respected South Asian broadcaster.

Four other stations in various markets will be transferred to an ownership team consisting of two female broadcasters. All of the transfers result in full ownership and control of the broadcasting outlets by women and people of color.

[Commentary] Facing discrimination and unjust laws, for Latinos, the Internet has played a critical role in the movement for equality in this country. Battles were fought over an Internet with a level playing field that is now in jeopardy. Our ability to raise an equal voice online is under attack.

Network neutrality rules will do a few things to protect the online rights of consumers:

• Ban ISPs from blocking our access to lawful websites on the Internet;
• Ban ISPs from adopting a paid prioritization system that would create fast lanes for the wealthy and slow lanes for the rest of us;
• Protect Latinos, other people of color and low-income individuals who are more likely to use wireless connections to access the Internet, by enforcing these bans equally on wireless devices and wired broadband connections;
• Prevent ISP discrimination before it happens, and not after the fact; and
• Regulate ISPs as utilities by reclassifying broadband as a Title II service, the only sure way that the FCC can sustain legal challenges to its authority.

The National Hispanic Media Coalition filed comments at the Federal Communications Commission in response to its Public Notice seeking input on Comcast’s proposed acquisition of Time Warner Cable.

The comments urge the FCC to incorporate a number of critical questions on how the acquisition would affect Latinos into its public interest analysis.

NHMC is calling on the Commission to examine how the acquisition would impact: Latino programmers and Latino-themed content carriage and distribution; pay TV and Internet affordability; data caps, overage fees and usage-based pricing; Comcast’s Internet Essentials program; customer service; business relationships with other multichannel video programming distributors (MVPD); the Open Internet; regional sports networks; and jobs.

My friend Marty Chavez of the Ibarra Strategy Group and the Hispanic Technology and Telecommunications Partnership (HTTP) responded to a statement I recently made highlighting his participation in a very unbalanced event, hosted on July 9, 2014 by the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute and sponsored by Verizon, AT&T and Comcast, where he and others opposed strong Open Internet rules.

I had questioned whether or not it is appropriate for him to simultaneously represent the interests of corporate clients while asserting that he is working on behalf of the Latino community.

Of the many fabrications, Marty said that ‘most Latino organizations’ oppose the Federal Communications Commission using the sound legal authority found in Title II of the Communications Act to restrict blocking or discrimination online. This is patently false. A number of highly respected Latino organizations have sided with the community and come out in favor of strong Open Internet rules based on Title II authority.

The Voices for Internet Freedom coalition filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on behalf of more than 50 civil rights, human rights, community-based and media organizations in support of strong network neutrality rules that protect the digital rights of communities of color.

In the filing, the groups called on the FCC to treat Internet Service Providers (ISPs) as common carriers, which would allow the Commission to reestablish its legal authority to adopt Net Neutrality rules that prevent telecommunications companies from blocking, discriminating against and interfering with Web traffic.

The coalition also called on the agency to ensure Net Neutrality protections are applied equally to both wireline and wireless Internet access. The group opposes the framework for FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler’s proposed rules, which would allow ISPs to discriminate by creating fast and slow lanes online.

In response to the Capitol Hill briefing on network neutrality hosted by the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute and sponsored by Verizon, AT&T and Comcast on July 10:

“Some of the panelists have well-documented ties to the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that stand to gain the most if the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proceeds with its proposed rules for a paid fast lane. Indeed, one panelist, my friend, Martin Chavez, who spoke on the panel on behalf of the Hispanic Telecommunications and Technology Partnership (HTTP), is both a Senior Advisor to HTTP and a Consultant at the Ibarra Strategy Group, a lobbying firm that counts Verizon amongst its clientele. Let me be very clear – HTTP is nothing more than an industry front-group that is at best misinformed and at worst intentionally distorting facts as it actively opposes efforts to better serve the communications needs of Latinos.”

The National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) has launched the Latino Experts Program, funded by the WK Kellogg Foundation and created to increase the visibility of Latino experts in local news coverage.

NHMC president and CEO Alex Nogales training Latino leaders to speak in media. Over a two-year span, NHMC trained more than 100 Latino leaders, representing various fields of expertise and based in 12 television markets, to speak in media.

“Latinos are an integral part of the American social fabric, but you wouldn’t know that from watching the news,” said Alex Nogales, President and CEO of NHMC, a multiple Emmy Award-winning producer who led the trainings. “It’s time for the media to reflect reality. There are thousands upon thousands of Latino experts in their field, working to make this country better for all Americans. Latino views and faces are essential for balanced and responsible coverage, and yet they are still largely excluded. We now have the opportunity to transform this by elevating Latino perspectives on the issues shaping our country.”

NHMC has provided lists of these experts as resources for local television stations to ensure a wider range of viewpoints on their news and public affairs programs.