NABOB STATIONS URGED TO FIGHT TO RETAIN CIVIL LIBERTIES IN U.S.
Black-owned broadcast stations were urged Fri. to use their First Amendment rights and “open your airwaves” to oppose erosion of Americans’ civil liberty rights, which were said to be threatened by expected govt. actions brought on by terrorist attacks. Proposal was made by Ron Walters, prof. of African- American studies at U. of Md., at National Assn. of Black Owned Bcstrs. (NABOB) conference in Washington.
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In Washington Update session, panelist Paula Ford, senior Democratic counsel to Senate Commerce Committee, said main broadcast focus of Chmn. Hollings (D-S.C.) was “to assure small owners have access” to station ownership. “That is a huge concern for Senator Hollings,” she said, citing his opposition to repeal or relaxation of 35% TV station ownership cap. Ford also said chmn. was looking at ways to close “loopholes” in newspaper- broadcast ownership rules. “That’s an issue that’s out there,” she said of proposal to reinstate tax certificates for licensees who sell to minorities, but said no legislation was pending and it was highly unlikely anything would happen on certificates this year.
EEO and facilitating minority ownership of stations is a top priority of NTIA Dir. Kathleen Victory, aide Maureen Lewis said. NTIA, Lewis said, is seeking ways to foster public-private partnerships in telecom. Discussing prospects of controversial Tauzin-Dingell bill pending in House (which is backed by BOCs and opposed by AT&T), AT&T Washington Vp Broderick Johnson said: “Perhaps in the next session [of Congress] we'll see that kind of legislation.”
Because of terrorist attacks, “every issue that we were pursuing before Sept. 11 has now been turned on top of its head,” said Wade Henderson, exec. dir. of Leadership Conference on Civil Rights. He cited tax certificates and campaign finance reform as examples of communications issues Conference has been advocating. FCC Mass Media Bureau Chief Roy Stewart said he met individually with each commissioner at least every other week and recurring question, whatever the issue, was “why is that rule there.” Commission’s senior staff now is trained to be much more “proactive” and to anticipate issues rather than simply reacting as they arise, he said. FCC procedures today are “much more flexible” to benefit licensees, he said.
D.C. Congressional Del. Norton (D) praised NABOB leadership for not canceling sparsely attended conference in reaction to terrorist attacks. “You do not go off the air when there is an emergency,” she said. “People want to know how to get back to normal” and TV and radio stations are doing great job in helping, she said.