Press Release

NAHJ Board Resolutions

NAHJ Board Passes Resolutions Supporting Minority Broadcast Ownership, Public Interest Rights for Digital Broadcasting and Community Wireless Networks

Fort Worth, Texas – The board of directors of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists passed three resolutions during its board meeting June 13-14 in Fort Worth, Texas. The resolutions passed included support for minority broadcast ownership, public interest requirements for digital broadcasting and the right of state and local governments to build wireless broadband networks.

The board passed a resolution opposing further deregulation of our nation’s broadcast ownership rules because it was concerned that the number of minorities owning broadcast outlets has declined as a result of consolidation. Minorities own less than 4 percent of all full-power broadcast outlets.

The resolution NAHJ passed in support of minority ownership stated:

The National Association of Hispanic Journalists, in supporting a diversity of viewpoints and increased minority ownership of print and broadcast media outlets, opposes further deregulation of broadcast ownership by the FCC. We believe weakening those ownership rules threatens opportunities for minority owners and restricts a meaningful diversity of viewpoints. We cannot support changes in the rules unless those issues are adequately addressed.

The board also passed a resolution supporting stronger public-interest requirements for digital broadcasting. Broadcasters will soon make the transition from analog to digital broadcasting. A TV station will have up to six additional channels as a result. But Congress and the FCC have not yet defined the public interest obligations of these additional channels.

The resolution stated:

The National Association of Hispanic Journalists calls on Congress and/or the FCC to include strengthened public-interest requirements for stations moving toward digital broadcast.

The third resolution passed by the board supports the right of municipalities to build wireless broadband networks. Telephone and cable companies are opposing efforts by local and state governments to build wireless networks in state houses across the country. NAHJ supports the right of local governments to build the on-ramps to the information superhighway. NAHJ believes this will result in greater broadband access for the Latino community.

The resolution stated:

The National Association of Hispanic Journalists supports the right of state and local governments to develop wireless broadband networks to expand news and information access for underserved communities.