Minority Media Group to FCC: Give Net Neutrality Legislation Another Chance

David Honig, president and executive director of the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council, urged the Federal Communications Commission not to proceed with his regulatory proposals for broadband, but to instead give Congress another shot at passing network neutrality legislation during the upcoming lame duck session.

Honig's view is at odds with other watchdogs and several prominent Democratic lawmakers who have urged Chairman Genachowski to act following the collapse of last-minute legislative efforts. The minority media advocate backs enhanced network neutrality safeguards but opposes reclassifying broadband as a telecom service subject to stricter regulation. He contends that such a step would undermine opportunities for minority enterprises. "The tide is in favor of getting the legislation that almost crossed the finished line," he insisted.

The Alliance for Digital Equality (ADE), whose eclectic membership includes AT&T, Cisco, BET and the Communications Workers of America, seconded that emotion. In a statement, alliance chairman Julius Hollis said: "By calling for reclassification, fringe groups are simply out of touch with what our communities really need, and that's jobs and investment. We cannot allow them to hijack this debate, nor can we allow overregulation by the FCC to impede this goal."