Media Contact: 
Diane Holland, (202) 418-2500
diane.holland@fcc.gov

For Immediate Release

COMMISSIONER STARKS STATEMENT ON 
FOURTH BROADCAST STATION OWNERSHIP REPORT

WASHINGTON, February 14, 2020—FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks issued the following statement on the release of the Fourth Report on Ownership of Broadcast Stations: 

Until today, the latest broadcast station ownership data reported by the Commission was from 2015.  While I am pleased that we finally have updated numbers to talk about, it is still an unacceptable lag of more than two years in our reporting on data from October 2017.  To effectively address the lack of media ownership diversity, we cannot use stale data and must get better at assessing the extent of the problem in a timely manner.

Regarding the numbers, it is striking—but not surprising—that no minority group is better off in owning more full power commercial broadcast stations than they did in 2015.  Out of 1,385 stations, African-Americans owned just 12 stations in 2015—an anemic figure to be sure—and they still own just 12 stations in 2017.  No improvements to report there.  And many minority groups had their ownership numbers worsen.  Among them is American Indian or Alaska Native women; they lost all 8 stations in which they held a majority ownership interest in 2015.  Women overall lost ground as well, representing only 5.3% of full power commercial station owners, down from 7.4% in 2015, despite making up more than half of our population.  I have said it before: America’s broadcasters must look like America.  We have much work to do – and it starts with us fulfilling our direct order from the Third Circuit to implement a data program that would help understand the impact of our regulatory efforts on the ability of women and people of color to own stations.  

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Office of Commissioner Geoffrey Starks: (202) 418-2500 
ASL Videophone: (844) 432-2275
TTY: (888) 835-5322
Twitter: @GeoffreyStarks 
www.fcc.gov/about/leadership/geoffrey-starks

This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action.  Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action.  See MCI v. FCC, 515 F.2d 385 (D.C. Cir. 1974).