NAB, Diversity Committee Butt Heads on Incubator Draft
NAB and FCC Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment members dispute what markets the agency should consider comparable for purposes of waiving radio ownership limits in exchange for incubating a new entrant, said filings in docket 14-50 Thursday. The…
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agency should disallow such waivers from applying in markets that are more than five Nielsen audio market rank sizes removed in either direction from the incubated station’s market, said Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council Senior Advisor David Honig and National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters President Jim Winston in meetings with Pai Chief of Staff Matthew Berry, Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel and aides. Winston and Honig appeared on the behalf of other ACDDE members, including former Commissioner Henry Rivera. Such a limit is “unduly restrictive and would inhibit participation by potential incubating broadcasters,” NAB told aides to Pai, Rosenworcel and Commissioner Mike O’Rielly. Allow such waivers to be transferable, NAB recommended. The two sides pushed for the incubator program to include TV stations.