MMTC Issues Road Map for Media Diversity

The Minority Media & Telecommunications Council has released the Road Map for Telecommunications Policy, seeking "nothing less than the complete eradication of racial discrimination and its present effects from the nation's most influential and important industries -- mass media and telecommunications." Recommendations include more minority Federal Communications Commission commissioners and staff; asking Congress to give the Federal Trade Commission the power to prohibit racial discrimination in advertising; opposing cable a la carte; and calling for an investigation into radio ratings. Four of the Federal Communications Commission's five commissioners weighed in on the issue of media diversity at Monday's MMTC conference. All agreed that more needed to be done. Commissioner Michael Copps said the FCC lacked the commitment to do something about a fundamental national problem of lack of diversity in media ownership and employment. He added that the FCC had been frightened by the courts into a position of not wanting to do anything for fear that it would be overturned. Instead, he said, it should have been finding creative ways to stake out a middle ground. Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein said this FCC had made strides, including banning discrimination in advertising contracts. Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate -- who got a shout-out from the MMTC for a record of advocating for minority issues -- said she also liked to look at the positive, while pointing out that as the only woman on the Commission, the issue was near to her heart. Commissioner Robert McDowell said the small steps the FCC had taken -- including adopting a number of diversity initiatives and putting out others for comment -- were steps in the right direction. He favors helping minorities get more deals done it a tough economy and he hoped some deals would come out of an "access to capital" hearing the FCC is holding next week in New York.