Equal Opportunity in the New
Millennium
Diversity in Broadcast Television
Employment & Ownership Opportunities,
Post Telecommunications Act
1997 - 2002
Kevin R. Slaughter
George Mason University, Fairfax Virginia
Minority Employment & Ownership:
Where Are We in 2003?
Annenberg Public Policy Center Study
 13%
of the top executives of media,
telecom, and e-companies are
women;
 9% of women serve on their boards
of directors.
Minority Employment & Ownership:
Where Are We in 2003?
The Screen Actor’s Guild (SAG)
 24%
of roles went to people of color.
 Although women make up the majority of
Americans, 62% of the roles cast went to
men.
 Men had nearly double the number of
roles worked twice as many days as
women in roles cast for TV/Theatrical
projects.
Minority Employment & Ownership:
Where Are We in 2003?
Share of All 2000
TV/Theatrical Roles
Caucasian
76.1%
African American 14.8%
Latino/Hispanic 4.9%
Asian/Pacific
2.6%
Unknown/Other 1.3%
Native American 0.3%
Source: http://www.sag.org/diversity/castingdata.html
Minority Employment & Ownership:
Where Are We in 2003?
Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics
Projections (2000-2010)
 The
women’s labor force will grow faster
than men’s, and women’s share of the
labor force will increase to 48% in 2010.
 The Asian and Hispanic labor force groups
are projected to increase faster than other
groups (44% and 36%, respectively).
Minority Employment & Ownership:
Where Are We in 2003?
Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics
Projections (2000-2010)
The black labor force is expected to grow by
21%, more than twice as fast as the 9%
growth rate for the white labor force.
 The share of the labor force will increase to
6% for Asians and 13% for Hispanics in 2010.
 White non-Hispanics will see their share of the
labor force decrease to 69% in 2010.

Minority Employment & Ownership:
Where Are We in 2003?
U.S. Television Station
Ownership
Non-Minority/NonCompetitors
84.7%
Non-Minority
Competitors
13.3%
African American 1.7%
Asian American
0.2%
Hispanic American 0.1%
Native American 0.0%
Source: http://search.ntia.doc.gov/pdf/mtdpreportv2.pdf
Minority Employment & Ownership:
Where Are We in 2003?
Television Stations by
Race or Ethnicity
Non-Minority 1166
African American 20
Asian American
2
Hispanic American 1
Source: http://search.ntia.doc.gov/pdf/mtdpreportv2.pdf
The FCC’s Agenda: Reviewing the
Broadcast Ownership Rules
Source: http://www.fema.gov/pao/opaseal.htm
The FCC’s Agenda: Reviewing the
Broadcast Ownership Rules
(h) FURTHER COMMISSION REVIEW. –
The Commission shall review its rules
adopted to this section and all of its
ownership rules biennially as part of its
regulatory reform review under section
11 of the Communications Act of 1934
and shall determine whether any of such
rules are necessary in the public interest
as the result of competition…
The FCC’s Agenda: Reviewing the
Broadcast Ownership Rules
 Broadcast-Newspaper
Cross Ownership
 Local Radio Ownership
 Television-Radio Cross Ownership
 Dual Network Ownership
 National Television Ownership
 Local Television Ownership
The FCC’s Agenda: Reviewing the
Broadcast Ownership Rules
(1) NATIONAL OWNERSHIP LIMITATIONS.
- The Commission shall modify its rules
for multiple ownership set forth in
section 73.3555 of its regulations (47
C.F.R. 73.3555) -
The FCC’s Agenda: Reviewing the
Broadcast Ownership Rules
 (A)
by eliminating the restrictions on the
number of television stations that a
person or entity may directly or indirectly
own, operate, or control, or have a
cognizable interest in, nationwide; and
 (B) by increasing the national audience
reach limitation for television stations to
35 percent.
The FCC’s Agenda: Reviewing the
Broadcast Ownership Rules
(2) LOCAL OWNERSHIP LIMITATIONS. The Commission shall conduct a
rulemaking proceeding to determine
whether to retain, modify, or eliminate
its limitations on the number of
television stations that a person or entity
may own, operate, or control, or have a
cognizable interest in, within the same
television market.
Kathleen Q. Abernathy,
FCC Commissioner
“I don’t want to see
women who are
equally qualified and
equally capable kept
from attaining the
same levels of
achievement as their
male counterparts.”
- Kathleen Q. Abernathy
February 26th, 2002
Image: http://www.fcc.gov/commissioners/abernathy/biography.html
Jonathan S. Adelstein,
FCC Commissioner
“Ownership
consolidation in local
markets by definition
reduces competition
and puts programming
decisions into the
comparatively fewer,
often national players.”
- Jonathan S. Adelstein
February 26th, 2002
Image: http://www.fcc.gov/commissioners/adelstein/welcome.html
Michael J. Copps,
FCC Commissioner
Image: http://www.fcc.gov/commissioners/copps/biography.html
“I am concerned…
about consolidation
in the media… I
don’t believe that we
have the foggiest
idea right now about
the potential
consequences of our
actions.”
- Michael J. Copps
January 16th, 2003
Kevin J. Martin,
FCC Commissioner
Image: http://www.fcc.gov/commissioners/martin/welcome.html
“I
remain committed
to doing everything I
can to ensure that
the FCC adopts
ownership rules that
protect competition,
diversity, and
localism in today’s
media environment.”
- Kevin J. Martin
January 16th, 2003
Michael K. Powell,
FCC Chairman
Image: http://www.fcc.gov/commissioners/powell/
“The public interest is
all about promoting
diversity, localism, and
competition. We can
achieve these goals –
and the courts will
agree with us – if we
do it the right way.”
Michael Powell
February 27th, 2003
Building a Public Record to
Review FCC Ownership Rules
October 29th, 2001 – Chairman Powell creates
the Media Ownership Working Group.
 September 12th, 2002 – FCC initiates the third
Biennial Review of the Broadcast Ownership
Rules.
 October 1st, 2002 - FCC releases 12 empirical
Media Ownership Working Group studies on
the current state of mass media, including
“how media ownership affects diversity,
localism, and competition.”

Building a Public Record to
Review FCC Ownership Rules
FCC receives over 3,000 comments on the 12
studies – 2,900 from “individual citizens.”
 FCC holds Public Forums on Media Ownership:
- January 16th, 2003 at Columbia University
Law School in New York, NY;
- February 27th, 2003 at Greater Richmond
Convention Center in Richmond, Virginia;
- March 7th, 2003 at University of Washington
in Seattle, Washington.
- March 31st, 2003 at Duke University Law
School in Durham, North Carolina.

Building a Public Record to
Review FCC Ownership Rules
 FCC
receives 15,000 comments from the
general public alone regarding the
Commission’s review of broadcast
ownership regulations.
 The FCC will announce its decision
regarding the broadcast ownership rules
on June 2nd, 2003.
Senator John McCain, R-AZ
Image: http://mccain.senate.gov/senatephoto.htm
“Minorities are woefully
under represented in
the ownership of
commercial broadcast
facilities… We should
ensure that the
American media
landscape includes
opportunities for these
voices to be heard.”
– Sen. John McCain
January 30th, 2003
The Telecommunications
Ownership Diversity Act of 2003
 January
30th - McCain introduces S. 3112
 The legislation’s principle ambitions:
- Encourages ownership of telecom
companies by women and people of color.
- Institutes market-based, voluntary
measures to achieve ownership goals and
provide competition from small businesses.
The Telecommunications
Ownership Diversity Act of 2003
- Provides sellers of telecom assets a
tax deferral when those assets are
bought for cash by certain small
businesses.
- Provides investors an incentive to
consider certain small businesses by
providing a reduction in the tax on
gains from investments in these
companies.
The Act is an Old Gift in a New
Wrapper…
Tax certificate concept was introduced
originally during the Carter Administration
in 1978.
 Despite objections of minority
broadcasters and industry associations
such as NAB, Congress repealed the tax
certificate program in 1995.
 The FCC issued 359 tax certificates to
promote minority ownership before
Congress discontinued the program..

The Act is an Old Gift in a New
Wrapper…
 McCain
attempted to re-introduce the
act at the end of the 106th Congress,
but was unsuccessful.
 April 7, 2003 - Senate Commerce
Committee announces it will hold
further hearings on the national media
ownership issue.
Senator Byron L. Dorgan, D-ND
“For decades, our
communications policy
has imposed sensible
restrictions on media
ownership to promote
and preserve multiple,
independent voices…”
– Sen. Byron L. Dorgan
June 19th, 2001
Image: http://dorgan.senate.gov/images/byron.jpg
Senator Byron L. Dorgan, D-ND
“Unfortunately, the rules that protect this
diversity are under assault: from regulators,
judges and from the industry itself... In our
view, the proponents of deregulation and
consolidation have yet to prove their claims…
This is not just about competition between
major media conglomerates. It’s a question of
whether we want all of the media outlets in
this country to be controlled by a powerful
few.”
Source: htp://dorgan.senate.gov/images/byron.jpg
– Sen. Byron L. Dorgan
January 30th, 2003
Senator Ernest F. Hollings, D-SC
“Diversity in ownership
creates opportunities
for smaller companies
and local business men
and women to have a
voice… Deregulation
without reasoned
justification is nothing
more than deregulation
for its own sake.”
Image: http://commerce.senate.gov/about/ranking.html
– Sen. Ernest F. Hollings
June 19th, 2001
Senator Ernest F. Hollings, D-SC
“… Indeed, it is the preservation of
diversity and localism that promotes
competition and choices for advertisers;
that creates opportunities for small
companies, minorities, and women; that
allows innovative programming to find
an outlet; and that ensures that the
interests of each community is served
by the license of this public asset.”
– Sen. Ernest F. Hollings
th, 2003
January
30
Source: http://hollings.senate.gov/statements/2003130406.html
Conclusion
“Unless there is greater activism on
media issues, it is likely that the pattern
of control today by a few major
conglomerates over the US media
system will continue into the digital
age. And hopes for greater diversity of
ownership by communities of color will
fade out.”
- Center for Digital Democracy
December 16, 2002
Thank You!
Works Cited
Abernathy, Kathleen Q. “Fostering Equal
Employment Opportunities for Women.”
American Women in Radio and Television Power
Breakfast. Washington. 26 Feb. 2002. 28 March
2003 <http://www.fcc.gov/Speeches/Abernathy/
2002/spkqa202.html>.
Abernathy, Kathleen Q. “Opening Remarks.”
Broadcast Ownership En Banc. Convention
Center. Richmond. 27 Feb. 2003. 28 March
2003
<http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachma
tch/DOC-231596A1.pdf>.
Works Cited
Adelstein, Jonathan S. “The Last DJ?: Finding a
Voice on Media Ownership.” The Future of Music
Coalition Policy Summit 2003. Georgetown
University, Washington. 6 Jan. 2003. 11 Feb.
2003 <http://www.fcc.gov/Speeches/Adelstein/
2003/spjsa301.html>.
Ahrens, Frank. “Member of FCC Pushes
Ownership Debate.” Washington Post.com 6 Feb.
2003. 11 Feb. 2003
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wpdyn/A32076-2003Feb5?language=printer>.
Works Cited
“BLS Releases 2000-2010 Employment
Projections.” United States. Dept. of Labor. Bureau
of Labor Statistics. 3 Dec. 2001. 30 Sept. 2002
<http://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecopro.nr0.htm>.
“Changes, Challenges, and Charting New
Courses: Minority Commercial Broadcast
Ownership in the United States.” United States.
Dept. of Commerce. Nat. Telecommunications and
Information Administration. 31 Dec. 2000. 30 Sept.
2002
<http://search.ntia.doc.gov/pdf/mtdpreportv2.pdf>.
Works Cited
Copps, Michael J. “Opening Remarks.” Columbia
Law School Forum on Media Ownership. New
York. 16 Jan. 2003. 26 March 2003
<http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachma
tch/DOC-230398A1.pdf>.
Goldstein, Jordan. “FCC Commissioner Copps
Announces Public Hearing on Media
Concentration in Durham, NC, on March 31.”
United States. Federal Communications
Commission. Washington. 26 March 2003
<http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachma
tch/DOC-232533A1.pdf>.
Works Cited
Hollings, Ernest F. and Byron L. Dorgan. “Your
Local Station, Signing Off.” Opinion. United
States. Congress. Senate. Washington. 19 June
2001. 28 March 2003
<http://hollings.sentate.gov/~hollings/opinion/2
002620B39.html>.
Hollings, Ernest F. “Statement of U.S. Sen. Fritz
Hollings on Ownership in the Radio Industry.”
United States. Congress. Senate. Washington.
30 Jan. 2003. 28 March 2003
<http://hollings.sentate.gov/~hollings/statement
s/2003130406.html>.
Works Cited
Krasnow, Erwin G. and Lisa M. Fowlkes. “The
FCC’s Minority Tax Certificate Program: A Proposal
for Life After Death.” Federal Communications
Law Journal. Vol. 51. No. 3. pp. 665-679. 25
May 1999. 19 April 2003
<http://www.law.indiana.edu/fclj/pubs/v51/no3/k
ramac9.PDF>.
Martin, Kevin J. “Opening Remarks.” Columbia
Law School Forum on Media Ownership.
Kernochan Center for Law, Media, and the Arts.
New York. 16 Jan. 2003. 28 March 2003
<http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmat
ch/DOC-230399A1.pdf>.
Works Cited
McCain, John. “Telecom Ownership Needs to be
Diversified.” Statement. United States. Congress.
Senate. Washington. 20 Oct. 1999. 28 March
2003
<http://mccain.senate.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=
Newscenter.Viewpressrelease&Content_id=598>.
“Minority Ownership of Major Media: An
Endangered Species Going Extinct –
Conglomerates to Gobble Up Rest of Minority
Media Pie.” Market Watch. Center for Digital
Democracy. 16 Dec. 2002. 22 March 2003
<http://www.democraticmedia.org/news/marketwa
tch/minoritymedia_jeff.htm>.
Works Cited
Pelofsky, Jeremy. “Senate Panel to Review
Media Ownership Again.” Reuters. 7 April 2003.
7 April 2003
<http://www.reuters.com/printerFriendlyPopup.j
html?type=topNews&storyID=2524179>.
Pialorsi, Pia. “McCain Bill Diversifies Ownership in
Telecommunications Industry.” United States.
Congress. Senate. Washington. 30 Jan. 2003.
22 Feb. 2003.
<http://mccain.senate.gov/telecomtax.htm>.
Works Cited
Powell, Michael K. “Opening Statement.” Public
Hearing on Broadcast Ownership. Convention
Center. Richmond. 27 Feb. 2003. 20 April 2003
<http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachma
tch/DOC-231595A1.pdf>.
Rawls, Dana. “Minorities and the Media: Little
Ownership and Even Less Control.” AlterNet.org
12 Dec. 2002. 22 March 2003
<http://www.alternet.org/print.html?StoryID=14
751>.
Works Cited
Russo, Michelle. “FCC Chairman Michael Powell
Announces Creation of Media Ownership Working
Group.” United States. Federal Communications
Commission. Washington. 29 Oct. 2001. 11 Oct.
2002
<http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Miscellaneous/News_Rele
ases/2001/nrmc0124.html>.
Sanders, Edmund. “Media Giants at Odds Over FCC
Cap on TV Station Ownership.” Los Angeles Times.
Latimes.com. 18 Feb. 2003. 22 Feb. 2003
<http://www.latimes.com/templates/misc/printstory.jsp
?slug=la%2Dfi%2Dfcc18feb18&section=/printstory>.
Works Cited
“Screen Actors Guild Employment Statistics
Reveal Increases in Total TV/Theatrical Roles
and Increases for All Minorities in 2000.”
Screen Actors Guild. Los Angeles. 30 Sept. 2002.
<http://www.sag.org/diversity/castingdata.html>.
Telecommunications Act of 1996, Pub. LA.
No. 104-104, 110 Stat. 56 (1996). 47 C.F.R.
73.3555. pp. 67-68. Federal Communications
Commission. Washington. 20 April 2003
<http://www.fcc.gov/Reports/tcom1996.pdf>.
About the Author




Image: Kevin R. Slaughter, George Mason University
Adjunct Professor, George
Mason University Dept. of
Communication, Fairfax,
Virginia. Course: Mass
Media and Communication
Systems
Director of Cablecast
Operations, GMU-TV/The
Capitol Connection, Fairfax,
Virginia
M.A. Telecommunications,
George Mason University
B.S. Mass Communication,
Radio/TV/Film, Norfolk State
University