The FCC should improve its collection and release...
The FCC should improve its collection and release of Form 323 broadcast ownership data, The Leadership Council on Civil and Human Rights said in comments on the 2014 quadrennial review posted online in docket 14-50 Tuesday (http://bit.ly/Y1Ljjs). “[W]hile the Commission’s…
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response rates are improving and are virtually complete in full power television, low power television and AM radio continue to suffer significant non-response rates,” the filing said. “This is particularly troubling, since these are the services that might be expected to have the greatest participation by women and people of color,” the Leadership Council said. The group also faulted the FCC for doing “no analysis of its data,” making it harder for researchers to use, according to the filing. The FCC should also complete other ownership studies related to diversity, the filing said. “[T]he Commission should explore all of its options with respect to justifying race-conscious policies and not prematurely rule out any for lack of evidence that it has not collected,” the filing said. The FCC should also approve rules to require disclosure of shared services agreements and reduce ownership caps to motivate larger broadcast groups to spin off stations to new owners, the filing said. “More efforts like this are needed, particularly if they are achieved in concert with meaningful policies that can promote the transfer of those stations to women, people of color and other members of underrepresented groups,” the filing said.