April, 08 2009, 10:45am EDT
FCC Improves Media Ownership Data Collection
WASHINGTON
The Federal Communications Commission announced sweeping changes to
the way it collects data on female and minority broadcast ownership in
the United States. Free Press research had exposed that the FCC's last
data collection process in 2007 missed more than half of all the radio
stations owned by women and minorities and more than two-thirds of the
television stations.
Free Press' studies -- Out of the Picture and Off the Dial
-- filled in the FCC's gaps with conclusive evidence of the alarming
state of media diversity. While women make up 51 percent of the entire
U.S. population, they own less than 6 percent of all full-power radio
and TV stations. People of color make up 33 percent of the U.S.
population, yet own just 7 percent of the broadcast stations.
Joseph Torres, government relations manager of Free Press, issued the following statement:
"We commend Acting Chairman Copps and the FCC for making these
important improvements to the agency's media ownership data-gathering
practices. The FCC has ignored the disgraceful lack of media diversity
for too long. For years, the FCC has failed to accurately count the
number of minority and female broadcast owners or give any
consideration to the impact of broader media ownership policies.
"Better ownership data is the foundation of better broadcast policy.
An independent, honest and thorough data collection process is a
critical first step toward realizing the goal of a vibrant and
inclusive media landscape."
Free Press was created to give people a voice in the crucial decisions that shape our media. We believe that positive social change, racial justice and meaningful engagement in public life require equitable access to technology, diverse and independent ownership of media platforms, and journalism that holds leaders accountable and tells people what's actually happening in their communities.
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Amid Spying Fight, House Passes Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act
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While applauding the U.S. House of Representatives' bipartisan passage of a bill to ensure that "law enforcement and intelligence agencies can't do an end-run around the Constitution by buying information from data brokers" on Wednesday, privacy advocates highlighted that Congress is trying to extend and expand a long-abused government spying program.
The House voted 219-199 for Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act (FANFSA), which won support from 96 Democrats and 123 Republicans, including the lead sponsor, Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio). Named for the constitutional amendment that protects against unreasonable searches and seizures, H.R. 4639 would close what campaigners call the data broker loophole.
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Wednesday's vote followed the House sending the Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act to the Senate. H.R. 7888 would reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which allows for warrantless spying on noncitizens abroad but also sweeps up Americans' data.
The House notably included an amendment forcing a wide range of individuals and businesses to cooperate with government spying operations but rejected an amendment that would have added a warrant requirement to the bill, which the Senate could vote on as soon as Thursday.
Noting those decisions on the FISA reauthorization legislation, Ruddock stressed that "today's vote is a victory but follows a recent loss and ongoing threat as that Section 702 bill moves to the Senate this week too."
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Jeramie Scott, senior counsel and director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center's Project on Surveillance Oversight, also praised the House's FANFSA passage on Wednesday.
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Kia Hamadanchy, senior policy counsel at ACLU, similarly said Wednesday that "the bipartisan passage of this bill is a flashing warning sign to the government that if it wants our data, it must get a warrant."
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As The Intercept's Ken Klippenstein and Daniel Boguslaw noted:
Since 2011, the U.N. Security Council has rejected the Palestinian Authority's request for full member status. On April 2, the Palestinian Observer Mission to the U.N. requested that the council once again take up consideration of its membership application. According to the first State Department cable, U.N. meetings since the beginning of April suggest that Algeria, China, Guyana, Mozambique, Russia, Slovenia, Sierra Leone, and Malta support granting Palestine full membership to the U.N. It also says that France, Japan, and Korea are undecided, while the United Kingdom will likely abstain from a vote.
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