MMTC celebrated the sale of WISH-TV and WNDY-TV, Indianapolis, from Nexstar Media Group, Inc., to minority-led Circle City Broadcasting, LLC. The $42.5 million transaction is one of the five largest television acquisitions ever undertaken by a minority-owned company. More diversity in broadcast ownership makes the industry more effective and competitive in serving the nation's growing and more diverse population. Circle City Broadcasting, led by DuJuan McCoy, will run the stations hands-on, with no shared service agreements (SSAs) or joint sales agreements (JSAs), maintaining full control of both stations and their content - a tremendous win for diverse voices in the media.

Read the press statement  here.

 

MMTC, along with a coalition of 17 national civil rights and business advocacy organizations, has filed a letter to the FCC addressing the subject of duplicative cable franchise fees that are being charged by some localities and that will ultimately just get passed on to consumers, increasing the digital divide.  

• Local franchising authorities are allowed to charge operators fees for use of the public rights of way; these fees are capped at 5% under Sections 621/622 of the Cable Act.
• The letter urges the Commission to reaffirm that states and localities cannot and should not impose additional franchise fees on broadband services beyond the 5% maximum already charged for cable services because the broadband service is provided over the same networks, so the 5% rights-of-way fee has already been charged.
• We believe that because government taxes and fees are just passed on to consumers, duplicative fees and taxes like these are regressive - that is, they are most burdensome to lower-income households that spend a far larger share of their income on broadband than wealthier families. 
• In effect, these fees make home broadband access even less affordable for those who can least afford it, and widen the digital divide.

In response to the FCC's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking ("2018 Quad NPRM"), MMTC filed comments about 1) the need to address the paucity of minority and women broadcast ownership, and how the present effects of past discrimination in issuing broadcast licenses has contributed to the small number of diverse owners today; 2) why the local radio ownership rules should not be relaxed at this time; 3)why the Cable Procurement Rule should be extended to broadcasting to increase opportunities for diverse suppliers; and 4) urging the FCC to consider three mathematical concepts for measuring and advancing diversity and competition. 

Read the full text of the comments here.

As  the nation's only nonprofit media and telecom brokerage,  MMTC Media & Telecom Brokers invest time and effort in training a new generation of media and telecom entrepreneurs. Our brokerage services have expanded to include consulting. So please think of us if you have a client or a friend looking to enter the broadcast business that needs a seasoned brokerage firm. We are dedicated to our cause of promoting diverse broadcast ownership in media, telecom, and tech. 

Learn about three of our   clients: Kongsue Xiong of Asian American Broadcasting, LLC; Sherry Nelson of Legacy Broadcasting, LLC; and Pedro Zamora of Zamora Broadcasting, LLC. below.   

Want to learn more about MMTC Media & Telecom Brokers?   Contact Suzanne Gougherty at  sgougherty@mmtconline.org  or David Honig at dhonig@mmtconline.org. 

Have you seen MMTC TV yet? Go here to watch videos of MMTC's Broadband and Social Justice Summits and Access to Capital and Telecom Policy Conferences. 

 

MMTC's February and March Social Media Highlights

With our nonpartisan values of diversity and inclusion, MMTC continues to pursue our work with great determination notwithstanding our modest resources.  We  offer our sincere appreciation for support in helping us deliver our world-class advocacy, convenings, and policy leadership in industries regulated by the Federal Communications Commission.

 

TO SUPPORT MMTC, YOU CAN DONATE IN TWO WAYS:

• Fellowship: Help the next generation of media and telecom lawyers and policy professionals to advocate on behalf of our nation's multicultural, women, and underserved communities by investing in the new Henry M. Rivera Fellowship.  Other fellowships you are invited to support are the Cathy Hughes and Earle K. Moore fellowships. 
• General: Make a donation to general support.

MMTC is recognized by the IRS under 26 U.S.C. §501(c)(3). All contributions are tax-deductible.

Your support makes it possible for MMTC to serve as an advocate for diversity, inclusion and equal opportunity in the nation's most important industries. Thank You!