Pushed Off the Dial
Responding to
Off the Dial, civil rights leaders and the Democratic members of the FCC blasted the Commission for its failure to adequately address this crisis in minority media ownership:
"This study presents fresh and challenging evidence about the lack of female and minority ownership in the radio industry,"
FCC Commissioner Michael Copps said. "My fervent hope is that we can harness the shame of our failures and recommit ourselves to creating a media that reflects the diversity of the American people."
"Women and people of color have been left off the dial because the FCC has pursued policies that are far off the mark," said
Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein. "It is our legal and moral obligation to promote diversity in the public airwaves. But as this landmark report shows, misguided policies have concentrated radio station ownership in a few hands and denied two-thirds of the American people an opportunity to serve the needs of their communities. The Commission needs to thoroughly study this report and develop a comprehensive strategy to remedy this injustice."
"I commend Free Press for compiling this thorough report on the lack of diversity in radio station ownership," said
Congresswoman Hilda L. Solis (D-Calif.). "The incredibly low numbers of women and under-represented minorities that own radio stations -- Latinos own just 2.9 percent, and women own just 6 percent of full-power commercial radio stations -- run contrary to the public interest. This report demonstrates the problems associated with the increasing consolidation of media ownership. As the FCC re-examines media ownership rules, I urge them to pay close attention to this report and the disturbing statistics showing that we need more diversity among owners of radio and other media."
"All day, all night, all white, clearly does not represent the diversity of American culture," said
Rev. Jesse Jackson, founder of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition. "When people of color own just 7.7 percent of radio stations but make up 33 percent of the population, we see how poor public policy decisions continue to lock more of the Rainbow, out of opportunities."
"Commercial radio may be one of the most unfriendly environments for women and people of color," said
Kim Gandy, president of the National Organization for Women. "Media consolidation has created an almost unbreakable glass ceiling at the top. The FCC must take action to promote more diverse ownership and end the white male stranglehold on the airwaves."
"Latinos own less than 3 percent of U.S. radio stations but make up 15 percent of the population," said
Brent Wilkes, national executive director of the League of United Latin American Citizens. "These alarming statistics suggest that women and people of color have very few stations available to serve the needs of the community. LULAC urges the FCC to do better."
"We are concerned about the status of the invisible majority," said
Carol Jenkins, president of The Women's Media Center. "That women are acutely under-represented in ownership is part of the larger crisis of representation and participation in the media overall. In the case of radio, it's a pipeline issue: When 85 to 90 percent of general managers and program directors are men, women simply don't acquire the skills to run -- and then own -- radio stations."
"Our entire federal government, from the FCC to Congress and the courts, is to blame for the shameful lack of media diversity this important report reveals," said
Mark Lloyd, senior fellow at Center for American Progress and chair of the Media and Telecommunications Task Force at the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights. "We must begin to hold our representatives responsible for licensing who gets access to the public spectrum. And a licensing scheme that has locked out women and minorities since the early 1920s must be corrected to reflect America in the 21st century."
