NTIA has No Plans to Conduct Minority Broadcast Ownership Study

NTIA HAS NO PLANS TO CONDUCT MINORITY BROADCAST OWNERSHIP STUDY
[SOURCE: National Association of Hispanic Journalists press release ]
The National Telecommunications and Information Agency has no plans to conduct a study on the current state of minority broadcast ownership in the United States. The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) sent a letter to U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez April 3 calling on the department to conduct a minority ownership study. The NTIA, which is an agency within the U.S. Commerce Department, has conducted several studies monitoring trends affecting minority owners. The last report was released at the end of the Clinton Administration. Responding on behalf of Sec. Gutierrez, NTIA’s John M.R. Kneuer informed NAHJ President Veronica Villafañe that his agency had no present plans to conduct a minority ownership study, but that the Administration shared the association’s concern that “American media reflect the diversity of the nation’s people.” The last report the NTIA published was in December 2000. It found that people of color only made up 3.8 percent of all broadcast station owners and that media consolidation posed a serious threat to the future of minority ownership. NAHJ believes it is critical for the FCC and the public to understand the impact of regulatory action on minority owners. The association is concerned that any action to further deregulate the nation’s broadcast ownership regulations will reduce the number of minority owners and diverse news coverage, thus stifling diversity.
http://www.nahj.org/nahjnews/articles/2006/april/ntiaresponse.shtml

Read NAHJ's Letter to Sec. Gutierrez: http://www.nahj.org/nahjnews/articles/2006/april/gutierrezletter.shtml

Read Response Letter from NTIA: http://www.nahj.org/nahjnews/articles/2006/april/NTIAResponseLetter.pdf

NTIA's Dec. 2000 study on challenges to minority ownership: http://search.ntia.doc.gov/pdf/mtdpreportv2.pdf

FCC study on barriers to minority ownership: http://www.fcc.gov/opportunity/meb_study/historical_study.pdf

* NTIA Has No Plans To Study Minority Ownership
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6331818?display=Breaking+News