Free Press is “inventing an issue where none...
Free Press is “inventing an issue where none exists” in its criticism of the Minority Media & Telecommunications Council for not disclosing whether MMTC had prior relationships with the subjects of its cross-ownership study (CD Sept 25 p23), said MMTC…
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President David Honig in an ex parte filing Monday (http://bit.ly/GzyzXM). “MMTC’s identity was not known to Study respondents, nor were the respondents’ identities known to MMTC,” said Honig in the ex parte. “No conflict of interest for ‘double blind’ research exists by virtue of a nonprofit sponsor’s ownership of or relationships with broadcast stations.” Honig also said disclosing prior relationships would jeopardize the confidentiality promised to participants of the study. “Providing any additional information could reveal the identities of Study subjects,” said Honig. He also responded to Free Press complaints that the use of FCC data to conduct the study led MMTC to misidentify some stations as minority- or female-owned that weren’t. “The FCC uses its own database as well,” said Honig. “Free Press does not demonstrate that the results of the Study would have been materially different if a different database had been used.” Honig also challenged Free Press attacks on the study’s peer review process. “Even if the Study had not been peer reviewed at all, the Study would still be a useful piece of evidence that could aid the Commission in its evaluation of whether common ownership has a disparate impact on minority and/or women owned broadcast stations,” said Honig. “All of the peer reviewers ultimately concluded that while not dispositive, the study has value as a piece of evidence. That is all MMTC has ever asserted.” Free Press didn’t comment.