Hispanic media details goals

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The National Hispanic Media Coalition has an aggressive media agenda to pursue in 2010 – everything from combating hate speech to increasing media ownership to enacting PRA.


NHMC has seven categories upon which it intends to focus in 2010. They are:

* Combat hate speech in the media. It wants both the FCC and NTIA involved in this effort.

* Diversifying media ownership. It notes that only 7% of licenses are minority owned and only 2.6% are Hispanic owned and wants those numbers improved. To that end, it supports the minority tax certificate, a better FCC definition of “eligible entity” and “socially-disadvantaged business,” and steps to minimize further media ownership consolidation.

* LPFM: NHMC supports efforts to bring more LPFM stations to the dial via the Local Community Radio Act.

* Broadcast public interest requirements: NHMC feels that there is too much media power held by a handful of “moguls” and wants clearer public interest requirements.

* Universal broadband: NHMC believes affordable broadband service should be available everywhere.

* Network neutrality: NHMC supports maintaining an internet protocol that prevents service providers from discriminating between content.

* Performance Rights Act: NHMC supports enactment, which it says “…will help close an arcane loophole that allows the highly profitable radio industry to avoid paying artists what they rightly deserve.”

RBR-TVBR observation: We find some of NHMC’s goals mutually exclusive and therefore perplexing. Imagine the thrill and excitement a new NHMC-enabled Hispanic station owner will experience when faced with onerous local reporting requirements and potentially hefty royalty bills NHMC would saddle it with during the start-up phase of the business when it can least afford them.

On the “eligible entity” and “socially-disadvantaged business” definition question, the FCC has indeed been grappling with that for years – it is devilishly difficult to come up with a definition that will survive court scrutiny.