MMTC Slams FCC For EEO Inaction

The Minority Media and Telecom Council has asked the Federal Communications Commission to suspend its equal employment opportunity rules (EEO) rules for three months.

But far from thinking the FCC doesn't need such rules, the group is making the call to bring attention to what it says is 12 months of inaction and the need to revamp the FCC's EEO rules. "Nothing is lost by suspending it," says MMTC Executive Director David Honig, "since as configured now it isn't producing any benefits to the public or broadcasters." In a letter to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, Honig said that June 29 marked a year since the last EEO decision --three in fact -- but that even those had been "leveled against a diverse broadcaster for technical rule violations." He says the last time there was no EEO enforcement for a 12-month period was June 1968-June 1969. "The decline in EEO enforcement cannot be attributed to court decisions," said Honig. "Instead they are an indication that EEO has been a low priority at the Commission for far too long." He said the FCC should suspend enforcement so that it can "revitalize and reaffirm" its commitment.