Urban League Concerned About FCC Blank Channel Plan
National Urban League President Marc Morial waded into the debate over the FCC vacant channel proposal, warning that it could be negative for minority-owned TV stations. The fight has pitted public interest groups and Internet companies like Google against broadcasters…
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(see 1603310059). “Minority broadcast ownership remains a vital issue,” Morial said in a letter to the FCC. “The need for diversity in programming and language access, especially in low-income communities, is more critical than ever.” The FCC should not “disregard its longstanding goal of increasing broadcast ownership by minorities and underrepresented groups,” he said. “We urge the FCC to ensure that any actions in addition to the incentive auction will not disenfranchise underserved viewers in low-income households who disproportionally rely on over-the-air programming.” Meanwhile, Michael Calabrese, director of the Wireless Future Program at New America, supported the FCC proposal in a meeting with Daudeline Meme, aide to Commissioner Mignon Clyburn. “Leading chipmakers and other tech industry stakeholders have steadfastly maintained that if the post-auction band plan and repacking policies do not ensure at least three channels of 6 megahertz of unlicensed access in every market, especially in the most populated metro markets, the Commission will be killing off many emerging unlicensed use cases and the economic and social benefits that depend on low-band spectrum,” a filing on the meeting said. Both documents were posted in docket 15-146.