FCC: 'Diversity czar' not a czar at all

The House passed an amendment to defund the Federal Communications Commission’s so-called “diversity czar.” But the FCC says their diversity chief is actually not a “czar” at all.

Mark Lloyd is a chief diversity officer and associate counsel in the office of General Counsel, not a czar, a senior FCC official said. Conservative critics of Lloyd, who previously worked for the Center for American Progress, dubbed him the “diversity czar” back in 2009 when he was appointed to the newly created position. Glenn Beck has characterized Lloyd as an extremist who wants government control of media, and Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.), chairman of the telecommunications subcommittee, has expressed concern about his past. Hardline conservatives have taken issue with his past as a civil rights activist. The FCC defended Lloyd’s work. “For more than 18 months, Mark Lloyd has helped the commission pursue a congressional objective [to promote diversity in communications by] contributing on many important initiatives ­ like working to bridge the digital divide by increasing broadband adoption among hard-pressed Americans,” a senior FCC official said.