"To grow and continue to provide services needed by the American people, the communications sector needs to tap the strength and vibrancy that flows from the diversity of the American people." -- Chairman Powell

Headlines

10/7/04
Letters of transmittal from Julia Johnson to Chairman Powell, Commissioner Abernathy, Commissioner Copps, Commissioner Martin and Commissioner Adelstein concerning the recommendations adopted at the October 4, 2004 meeting
Word | Acrobat

10/6/04
Advisory Committee on Diversity for Communications in the Digital Age Makes Recommendations.
News Release: Word | Acrobat

9/23/04
Advisory Committee on Diversity for Communications in the Digital Age to Meet by Teleconference Monday, October 4, 2004, 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM.
Public Notice: Word | Acrobat
Federal Register Notice (9/21/04): Word | Acrobat
Live Webcast of Teleconference Meeting...

7/12/04
Letters of transmittal from Julia Johnson to Chairman Powell, Commissioner Abernathy, Commissioner Copps, Commissioner Martin and Commissioner Adelstein concerning the recommendations adopted at the June 14, 2004 meeting.

6/15/04
Media Bureau Seeks Comment on Ways to Further Section 257 Mandate and to Build on Earlier Studies.
Public Notice: Word | Acrobat

More Headlines...

Mission

The mission of the Advisory Committee on Diversity for Communications in the Digital Age (hereinafter the “Committee”) is to make recommendations to the Federal Communications Commission (hereinafter the “Commission”) regarding policies and practices that will further enhance the ability of minorities and women to participate in telecommunications and related industries.

One of the Commission’s responsibilities under the Communications Act is “to make available, so far as possible, to all the people of the United States, without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex, a rapid, efficient, Nation-wide wire and radio communications service….” 47 U.S.C.§151. See also, 47 U.S.C. § 257, directing the FCC to work toward elimination of market entry barriers in order “to promote the policies and purposes of this Act favoring diversity of media voices, vigorous economic competition, technological advancement, and promotion of the public interest, convenience and necessity.

These goals can best be achieved by ensuring that as broad a cross-section of the public as possible has the opportunity to own and/or manage communications and communications related companies. Consequently, the Commission formed this Committee to ensure that it regulates the communications industry in a manner consistent with these goals.

Responsibilities

Committee responsibilities are as follows:

• Developing strategies that will enhance participation by minorities and women in telecommunications and related industry transactions, including timely knowledge of potential transactions and access to the necessary capital;

• Developing strategies to increase educational training for minorities and women that facilitates opportunities in upper level management and ownership;

• Developing strategies to enhance participation and ownership by minorities and women in the newly developing industries based on new technologies; and

• Gathering the information and performing the analyses that are necessary for meeting the Committee's responsibilities.

Subcommittees

Career Advancement -- chaired by Jenny Alonzo. The objectives are to (a) assess current executive training programs and other career development programs that target minorities and women in the telecom industries; (b) identify recommendations and “best practices” that would facilitate opportunities in upper level management and ownership; and (c) focus both on industry-specific measures, as well as recommendations extending across the telecom sectors.

Financial Issues -- chaired by Andrew Barrett. The objectives for this subcommittee are to (a) identify the obstacles to capital access faced by minorities and women in the telecommunications industries; (b) assess current practices regarding the access to capital; (c) develop recommendations and identify “best practices” to address these obstacles; and (d) focus both on industry-specific measures, as well as issues that extend across the telecommunications sectors.

New Technologies -- chaired by Riley Temple. The objectives are to (a) assess what ownership and career advancement opportunities are available in new and emerging technologies (e.g., broadband, digital television, cable, satellite, low power FM) and the convergence of these technologies; and (b) develop recommendations for facilitating opportunities for minorities and women in new industries as they form.

Transactional Tranparency & Related Outreach -- chaired by Steve Hillard. The objectives are to (a) identify what enhancements or additions are needed, and develop suggested “best practices” in order to increase the participation of minorities and women; (b) assess current practices of how potential investment opportunities in telecom industries are identified and how that information is disseminated; and (c) focus both on industry-specific measures, as well as recommendations extending across the telecom sectors.

Members

Member Submissions

• Comments Concerning June 14, 2004 Recommendations...

• New Technologies, 6/14/04 FM Radio White Paper

• David Honig, 6/9/04 White Paper on Diversity Credits

• Joan Gerberding, 9/29/03 Statement

• David Honig, 9/29/03 Statement

• David Honig, 1/26/04 Draft Resolution on Distress Sale Policy

Background Materials

5/27/82
Final Report of the Advisory Committee on Alternative Financing for Minority Opportunities in Telecommunications
Henry Rivera, 1982.
Mr. Rivera was then an FCC Commissioner and the advisory committee's chairman.

Transcripts

Pursuant to the Charter, meetings are open to the public and timely notice of each meeting will be published in the Federal Register and will be further publicized through other appropriate vehicles. Records of the proceedings will posted on this internet site.

10/4/04
Fourth Committee Meeting (Teleconference)
- Minutes
- Transcript: Word | Acrobat
- Public Notice: Word | Acrobat

6/14/04
Third Committee Meeting
- Minutes
- Transcript

1/26/04
Second Committee Meeting
- Minutes
- Transcript
- Presentations:
-- Dave Steward
-- Career Advancement Subcommittee
-- Private Equity Panel
-- Regulatory Iniative Panel
-- Senior Lenders Panel
-- New Technologies
-- Transactional Transparency

9/29/03
First Committee Meeting
- Minutes
- Transcript
- Jane Mago Presentation

Federal Advisory Committee Act

The Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), 5 U.S.C. App. 2, which governs the operations of the Advisory Committee for Diversity in the Digital Age (hereinafter, the "Committee"), was enacted to promote good government values such as openness, accountability and balance of viewpoints consistent with administrative efficiency and cost-containment.

The FACA requires that timely notice of each Committee meeting be published in the Federal Register and that other forms of public notice be used to inform interested persons of the time, place and agenda of the meeting. Committee meeting notices will appear in the Federal Register, Federal Communications Commission news releases, Internet postings and other media.

The FACA also requires the Committee to permit interested persons to attend its meetings, to appear before the Committee and to file written statements with the Committee, subject to reasonable regulations. Under certain limited circumstances, meetings or a portion of meetings may be closed.

Notice of meetings of subgroups of the Committee, including, but not limited to, subcommittees, in which the members thereof do not engage in ultimate decision-making relative to the Committee's recommendations to the Federal Communications Commission, is not required and public attendance and participation is not mandatory.

Under FACA, the Committee is required to keep detailed minutes, including a record of the persons present at Committee meetings and documents received, issued or approved by the Committee. These documents and all other Committee minutes, transcripts, reports, studies, etc. will be available for public inspection and copying at the offices of the Committee's Designated Federal Officer, (DFO), Jane Mago, Room 7C-452, Federal Communications Commission, 445 Twelfth Street, SW, Washington, DC 20554. Transcripts and other selected documents will also be available here on the Internet at this web site.

Meetings of the Committee may be held only when called by, or with the advance approval of, the DFO with an agenda approved by her. The Committee's DFO, an employee of the Federal Communications Commission, must be present at each meeting and may adjourn such meeting if the public interest requires. Any requests for information relative to the applicability of FACA to the Diversity FAC's transactions should be directed to the DFO.