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FCC Should Update 'Widely Disseminated' EEO Qualification, Commissioner O’Rielly Says

The FCC should update its Internet Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) rule and what types of communication qualify as “widely disseminated,” said Commissioner Michael O’Rielly in a blog post Friday. The commission is relying on outdated models of Internet access and…

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usage for the EEO rule, he said. “We can’t embrace the ubiquity and benefits of Internet connectivity in public libraries to serve local communities on one hand, and on the other hand reject it as insufficient to reach enough potential job applicants,” he said. The Internet is an important space for communications companies to attract a diverse workforce, he said. Local newspaper want ads aren’t widely available in many communities, he said. The commission’s current EEO rules require broadcast and cable companies to distribute information about open positions, and prove that they have done so, he said. Employee search efforts must be included in companies’ public files, which are subject to random audits by the commission, he said. Updating the EEO rule is another step the commission can take in its modernization process, he said.