Diversity and Competition Supporters is a group of interested parties seeking to increase the levels of minority and female communications license ownership, and it has long had proposals pending at the FCC. It has now filed a comprehensive update that provides 47 separate recommendations that it wants considered as part of the quadrennial review.
David Honig of Minority Media and Telecommunications Council is lead counsel for the coalition.
Among the recommendations are creating a minority ownership incubation system that would reward groups with relaxed local ownership caps when they encourage new entrants to the market; allowing foreign investment in SDBs that seek to acquire a license; restoration of the minority tax certificate; open television channels 5 and 6 for AM station migration; include promotion of minority ownership in all FCC media proceedings; and many more.
One interesting proposal calls for creation of a medium-power FM service, less powerful than a Class A but stronger than an LPFM, that would allow minority entrants to effectively cover smaller markets (and perhaps be operated in conjuction with an already-owned AM station). It calls for Class A1 with 1.5 kW @ 328’ and Class A2 with 1kW @ 164’.
The complete document can be read here.
