MMTC Backs Prometheus Challenge To Media Ownership Decision

The Minority Media & Telecommunications Council supports Prometheus's challenge to the FCC's media ownership decision and has asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to allow it to intervene in support of Prometheus.

Prometheus, among other things, takes issue with the fact that the FCC has yet to comply with the Third Circuit Court of Appeals' order to justify or modify the FCC's method of boosting minority ownership, or propose new measures to do so.

In deciding to combine the 2010 and 2014 congressionally mandated media ownership rule reviews, the FCC deferred a decision on the minority issues.

"Taken together, we believe that Commission’s failure to address minority and women ownership as being 'outside the scope of this proceeding' is clear error, and its continued 'kicking the can down the road' on issues of media ownership by minorities and women is indefensible."

MMTC has already petitioned the FCC to admit it made a mistake and "clarify" that those diversity items remain under consideration.

An intervenor in a case is a party without a direct interest--not a plaintiff, defendant, or other party in interest--but with a demonstrable interest, in the outcome.

In this case, MMTC is a longtime advocate for minority ownership. It also owns a station brokerage and stations it uses to train minorities.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.