Minority ownership panel expanded

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Originally scheduled for the Subcommittee on the Courts and Competition Policy, a hearing called “Trends Affecting Minority Broadcast Ownership” has been kicked upstairs to the full Judiciary Committee, with Committee Chair John Conyers (D-MI) replacing Subcommittee Chair Hank Johnson (D-GA) at the gavel. Kick-off is at 10AM Eastern. A committee spokesperson said late yesterday afternoon that the witness list is still being assembled and would not be released until shortly before the event commences.


RBR/TVBR observation: Despite the Committee’s reticence, we understand that representatives from Arbitron and Radio One will be on hand, so look for considerable focus on the PPM controversy. Beyond that, there is almost no known opposition to putting mechanisms into the rules to encourage minority and female access to communications licenses, within the bounds of the Constitution, and Washington is full of individuals who would love to testify on this topic.