The Federal Communications Commission has considered four aspects of diversity: 1) Viewpoint diversity ensures that the public has access to a wide range of diverse and antagonistic opinions and interpretations provided by opportunities for varied groups, entities and individuals to participate in the different phases of the broadcast industry; 2) Outlet diversity is the control of media outlets by a variety of independent owners; 3) Source diversity ensures that the public has access to information and programming from multiple content providers; and 4) Program diversity refers to a variety of programming formats and content.
Diversity
FCC Commissioners Respond to Media-Ownership Ruling
“For more than twenty years," said Federal Communicatuions Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, "Congress has instructed the Federal Communications Commission to review its media ownership regulations and revise or repeal those rules that are no longer necessary. But for the last fifteen years, a majority of the same Third Circuit panel has taken that authority for themselves, blocking any attempt to modernize these regulations to match the obvious realities of the modern media marketplace.
Once Again, Court Overturns FCC Changes in Media-Ownership Rules
The Third US Circuit Court of Appeals threw out changes to broadcast media ownership rules approved by the Federal Communications Commission in 2017, saying the agency should have looked more closely at potential impacts on minority ownership. The court said it agreed with public-interest groups that “the Commission did not adequately consider the effect its sweeping rule changes will have on ownership of broadcast media by women and racial minorities.” The court will vacate and remand “the bulk of” the FCC’s actions over the last three years for further consideration by the agency.
Remarks of FCC Commissioner Starks to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Annual Legislative Conference
[The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Annual Legislative Conference] is a time to highlight our policy priorities and develop collaborative solutions so that when we return to our communities, whether Brooklyn (NY), Southeast DC, or Jackson (MS) we’re better equipped to “bend the arc of the moral universe” toward a greater measure of justice through our work.
Broadband in minority and rural communities — waiting for government won't work
Candidates are promising billions of dollars to rural and minority communities to deploy broadband. These communities still wait. While these communities do not have the money to build their own telecommunications infrastructure, they simply can’t risk waiting for a federal government that makes promises it knows can never be fulfilled. How can communities address this challenge? They must first recognize that the federal government is not coming with the money.
Newsroom Diversity Efforts Have Failed. It's Time to Take a Structural Approach.
People of color made up nearly 40 percent of the US population, according to 2018 Census Bureau figures. In comparison, only 16.55 percent of journalists in US newsrooms in 2017 were people of color — down from 16.94 percent in 2016, according to the American Society of News Editors’ newsroom census. Knight Foundation’s $1.2 million investment in the Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education is an attempt to help newsrooms rethink solutions to the diversity crisis.
Broadband access today is as varied as communities across Minnesota. Some enjoy a gig, others are working hard for any service, and the rest are somewhere in between. This conference is for all communities, regardless of where they are on the spectrum – because we’ve learned that having broadband isn’t enough. It takes inspiration, encouragement and guidance to reap the full benefits. We’ll be talking about how to make the most of what you’ve got and/or get more.
This year’s conference will shine a light on local broadband heroes as well as look at several aspects of broadband:
Right to Connect: A Media-Policy Roadmap for Presidential Candidates
A platform of recommended media-and-tech policies for all presidential candidates. Over the summer of 2019, Free Press Action will send the platform to each of the presidential candidates. Free Press Action will also generate a scorecard rating each candidate’s positions relative to Right to Connect’s recommendations. What is the platform asking candidates to do?
Agenda
9:00 am Welcome Zenji Nakazawa, Public Safety and Consumer Protection Advisor to Chairman Pai
9:15 am Panel 1: Regulatory Framework for Multilingual Alert Distribution Over the EAS and WEA Systems
FCC Will Renew Charter of Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment
The Federal Communications Commission is renewing the charter of the Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment for a two-year period. The purpose of the Committee is to make recommendations to the FCC on how to empower disadvantaged communities and accelerate the entry of small businesses, including those owned by women and minorities, into the media, digital news and information, and audio and video programming industries, including as owners, suppliers, and employees.