STATEMENT OF
COMMISSIONER JONATHAN S. ADELSTEIN
Re: Promoting Diversification of Ownership in the Broadcasting Services, MB Docket No. 
09-33
I enthusiastically support today’s Report and Order, which takes a major stride in 
assessing and promoting diversity in the broadcast industry.
This item is long overdue. For decades, women and people of color have been 
underrepresented in broadcast ownership.  While the Commission had lauded the virtue 
of a diverse broadcast media landscape, until today we have not even counted how many 
women and minorities actually own broadcast outlets.  Finally, our rhetoric on diversity 
is aligning with our actions.  The Report and Order affirmatively shows that we truly are 
committed to achieving this longstanding goal.   
Diversity in broadcast ownership is too crucial for the Commission not to get it 
right.  If we are going to make progress, we must lay a solid foundation.  The first step is 
obtaining a clear picture of where we presently stand.  I am pleased that we are 
overhauling our current method of collecting data on minority and female broadcast 
ownership.  We are implementing a complete, credible, and illuminative means of 
gathering racial and gender information.  An improvement in the quality of information 
we receive will allow us to assess the impact of our rules and policies on minority and 
female-owned entities, as well as the opportunities that are available for these stations to 
serve the public.  This type of accurate empirical evidence is the basis for making sound 
policy decisions, and is necessary for providing a Constitutional basis to make 
progressive improvements in diversity.
But today’s Report and Order is only the beginning.  There is considerable work 
left to do with dedicated leaders in the broadcasting industry to evaluate the information 
we receive.  Only then can we determine the most effective means to help diverse 
communities have their voices heard over the public airwaves. 
In the past, I have encouraged this Commission to create an independent, 
bipartisan panel to analyze the state of women and minority ownership, review all 
outstanding proposals, conduct a much-needed census of stations owned by women and 
people of color, and make priority recommendations to the Commission.  I’m glad to see 
that my proposed census is starting to take shape.  
Even as we make progress on this front, new challenges appear with each year.  
Since our last Diversity Order in 2007, we have heard widespread concerns that the 
Portable People Meter ratings system (“PPM”), created by Arbitron, has started to pose a 
threat to minority- and women-owned stations.  The Commission recognizes the 
important role of advertising revenue in ensuring a diverse ownership of broadcast assets. 
The potentially inaccurate ratings of PPMs could damage minority- and women-owned 
stations.  I am encouraged that the Commission will soon launch an inquiry I have sought 
into this audience measurement system so that all the facts and its effect on diversity will 
be evaluated and brought into light.  We have clear authority over all signals transmitted 
by broadcasters under section 303(j) of the Communications Act to ensure they are in the 
public interest.  Because encoded broadcast signals are required for the PPM to operate 
and the measurements are used as currency throughout the broadcasting industry, we 
have legitimate questions about whether to allow unaccredited systems to be used over 
the public airwaves, impairing the Commission’s important goals to promote diversity 
and fair competition under the Communications Act.  And in light of the challenging 
economic times and the fact the Commission uses Arbirtron’s market definitions and 
rating data, we need to ensure PPM’s accuracy and reliability.  The Commission cannot 
be left in the dark.
Both this Report and Order and the forthcoming PPM inquiry demonstrate not 
only the Commission’s commitment to diversity, but also it’s determination to bring all 
the facts to the table in every decision. I am, therefore, pleased to support this item and 
the work that lies ahead.