Sen Van Hollen, Rep Clarke urge FCC to scrutinize broadcast workforce diversity

Sen Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Rep Yvette Clarke (D-NY) are urging the Federal Communications Commission to officially begin collecting data on the racial, ethnic and gender diversity of the broadcast workforce, saying that information could "empower" the commission to improve its oversight of the broadcast industry. The FCC's Democratic commissioners have been raising concerns about the issue for months, arguing that the FCC should reinstate the form (395-B) that requires broadcasters to report the racial, ethnic and gender breakdown of their offices. FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel at a recent meeting accused the FCC of allowing "the broader effort to address discriminatory practices related to media ownership" to fall by the wayside. The lawmakers in the letter argued that the collection of broadcast workforce diversity information through the form has been mandated by Congress since the 1990s. The FCC is currently considering reinstating the form. Sen Van Hollen and Rep Clarke requested a "detailed summary of your reasoning, as well as an explanation regarding why you chose to not refresh the record" if the commission decides against reinstating the diversity data collection.