NHMC Asks FCC to Open Opportunities for Independent Programmers

reply comments to the Federal Communications Commission on its Notice of Inquiry (NOI) considering Diverse and Independent Sources of Video Programming. Within its reply comments, NHMC pointed out the many challenges outlined by diverse independent programmers in the first round of comments. NHMC also noted that increased consolidation within the multichannel video programming distributor (MVPD) industry has created a lopsided market in which programmers have too few buyers for their content. In its reply comments, NHMC specifically asked the Commission to launch a rulemaking proceeding to explore concrete steps that can be taken to ensure greater participation of programmers and content creators of color in our media landscape. NHMC also urged the Commission to investigate the purpose of "Most Favored Nation" and "Alternative Distribution Model" provisions and evaluate whether placing limitations on their severity or timing could help programmers achieve wider carriage.

NHMC had previously joined the opening comments of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, which detailed the woeful state of media diversity. Specifically, the Leadership Conference noted that Latino actors made up only five percent of all scripted broadcast television roles and held a majority interest in only three percent of full power commercial television stations in 2013.  ]]>