In the letter, USHCC President and CEO, Javier Palomarez, wrote:
For the past two years, Congress has been closely monitoring the introduction
by Arbitron of its new Portable People Meter radio ratings system. Over that
period, numerous concerns have been raised about the reliability of this new
system, particularly in regard to the accurate measurement of minority
communities. These concerns have been expressed through numerous letters
and public statements by both parties and both chambers of Congress. We
write to you now with a sense of increasing urgency that this matter be
resolved before further damage is done to the public interest in a diverse and
audience-driven radio marketplace.

In December of last year, the House Committee on Oversight and Government
Reform held a hearing at which your predecessor was asked to work with the
Media Ratings Council (MRC) and the Coalition of industry representatives
who serve minority audiences to develop a road map for fixing the PPM
system’s flaws. Three months later, Congress is still waiting for affirmative
evidence that this road map is being put in place and implemented.
This unfinished business is a source of grave concern. Our constituents rely
upon radio for news, information and connection to their community. The
radio system can only deliver if it is based on reliable ratings. Arbitron’s
failure to deliver an agreed upon road map for fixing the PPM system puts that
public interest at risk. Therefore, we urge you to work with expeditiously to
come to an agreement with the industry Coalition and the MRC so that the
listening public can be assured of reliable ratings.

We ask that in your response to this letter, you provide us with a detailed
update of the status of your company’s work toward resolving this matter, along with a clear indication of when we can expect to see concrete evidence of improved reliability in PPM.

Sincerely,

Javier Palomarez

USHCC President and CEO

It should go without saying that civil rights organizations are not only entitled, but justified, to question the ability of a government agency to manage the regulation of something as vital as the Internet.  Even a cursory look at the Federal Communications Commission’s record in addressing the needs of unserved and underserved communities, opens one’s eyes to appalling disregard for the needs of communities of color.  It is a record that the current Commission has done little to change.

The FCC has failed to address:

• enforcement of broadcast Equal Employment Opportunity  rules,
• assignment of a compliance officer for advertising non-discrimination rules,
• promulgation of multilingual broadcasts of emergency information,
• holding a hearing on faulty audience measurement technologies impacting minority-serving radio.

These are only a few examples of the FCC’s failure to protect the interests of minority communities.  While these failures can be directly attributed to the prior Administration, more recent examples – such as the omission of minority, digital divide or minority business enterprise issues in its December 2009 National Broadband Plan Framework, and the agency’s failure to support funding for much-needed support for media and telecom ownership by women and minorities – can only be interpreted by advocates as an outright dismissal of the concerns of disenfranchised communities.

If these issues were not so serious, questions about civil rights organizations’ reluctance to embrace regulation of an open Internet would be almost laughable.  When presented with the FCC’s dismal record of neglect and disregard for the needs of our communities, why would any advocate expect civil rights organizations to trust the FCC’s ability to safeguard our rights on the Internet?

Civil rights organizations need not excuse or explain themselves in the face of such naiveté. Like any group of engaged, concerned citizens, we have the right to petition our government. In this case, where the trust and goodwill of minority communities have been decimated by neglect, we will be especially vigilant in our efforts to ensure that our government engages in responsible policy making. While we respect the right of advocates to hold differing opinions, we feel strongly that the energy and resources being used to discredit civil rights organizations over this one proceeding would be better placed in moving the FCC to act on the long-standing list of civil rights proposals that have languished at the agency.

It is distressing to witness groups and individuals that are aligned with the Commission using smear tactics – typically the domain of political operatives – to discredit civil rights organizations.  These tactics are at odds with the “Change” that had been the uniting promise of a new Administration that many of us helped bring into office. In the past, we have partnered with some of the same organizations that now question our motives.  In the future, it would serve all of us to collaborate once again. We ask these organizations to not make the same mistakes that the FCC has made in disregarding our very real concerns for the needs of disenfranchised communities.

In a letter that we filed with nineteen other civil rights organizations last October, we asked the FCC to analyze the impact that net neutrality regulations would have on closing the digital divide in minority and other unserved and underserved communities.1 Identifying whether policy – in this case regulation of network neutrality – would impact efforts to close the digital divide should be a key concern for the Commission as it strives to achieve the Administration’s goal of 100% broadband access. Unfortunately, we are still waiting for the Commission to explore the impact of the proposed regulations on unserved and underserved communities.
In a separate filing also submitted today, we have raised specific issues within the NPRM that we believe demand methodical, granular examination before the Commission proceeds with this rulemaking.1 We respectfully ask you to see past the rhetoric that has surfaced in recent months and focus your attention on specific concerns that minority advocates have raised. Our overarching concern is that without thorough examination of these issues, the regulations could reduce broadband adoption for minorities, stifle efforts to bridge the digital divide and unintentionally perpetuate or widen the social and economic disparities that affect minorities. The communities that are currently most impacted by the digital divide – and therefore have the most at stake in this proceeding – will soon comprise the majority of the U.S. population. These communities’ chances for success will be tied to their ability to access and leverage online resources. For the Commission to move forward without a comprehensive examination of the impact of this proposal on unserved and underserved communities would be a grave error that would handicap the populations on whom the success of our society and economy will rest in the future.

As the nation’s largest minority group, Hispanics have made significant contributions to this country. At the moment, however, Hispanics are facing greater challenges than most other
populations. These include high unemployment rates, lower educational attainment levels, inferior health outcomes, and difficulties in gaining access to capital. Technology can help
Hispanics overcome these challenges, but unfortunately, with only 37% of Hispanics havinghome broadband access, we also trail other populations in Internet connectivity.2 Greater access to technology in our communities will only occur if policies are developed with careful consideration to the unique realities of unserved and underserved communities.

In the interest of closing the digital divide, federal broadband policy must promote ubiquitous adoption and allow for affordable high-speed connectivity to flourish. While HTTP fully
supports an open Internet, our primary responsibility is to the communities that we serve. We urge the Commission to carefully examine how regulation of open Internet practices would impact connectivity, affordability and access by communities that are currently not online.

Minority radio does more than add flavor and spice to the soundtrack of American life.  It is the conduit by which businesses connect with emerging markets and communities strengthen linkages with each other.  Arbitron’s PPM system is harming a critical medium that has played a transformative role in the social, political, and economic development of communities of color.

HTTP calls on Arbitron to use this hearing as an opportunity to correct its flawed PPM methodology and begin engaging in responsible business practices.

For more information please see http://www.httponline.org/arbitron_ppm

The Hispanic Technology and Telecommunications Partnership (HTTP) is a coalition of national Hispanic organizations that works to increase awareness of the impact of technology and telecommunications policy on the U.S. Hispanic community.

The minority advocacy organizations issued the joint letter to express their indignation at offensive statements made in a recent blog by Art Brodsky, PK’s Director of Communications, regarding minority organizations that have weighed in opposition to Public Knowledge in the current debate regarding network neutrality.

Full Text of the Letter

October 23, 2009

Gigi Sohn
President and Co-Founder
Public Knowledge
1875 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 650
Washington, DC 20009

Dear Ms. Sohn:

On behalf of the members of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the members of the Hispanic Technology and Telecommunications Partnership (HTTP), we want to express our deep indignation over the offensive assertions made in a recent Public Knowledge blog by Art Brodsky, PK Director of Communications, and our concerns about the manifestation of increasingly uncivil and disrespectful discourse around the issue of network neutrality.

In particular, we take genuine exception to the manner in which the author dismisses minorities’ opinions as naively misinformed. He wrote:

“Perhaps the saddest part of the whole affair to date is the role of groups representing minority populations. For whatever reason – whether they believe what the Big Telecom companies tell them or not – many organizations seem to land on policies that hurt their constituencies and fall into ludicrous traps one suspects are not of their making.”

-excerpt: Big Telecom Foments Hill’s Net Neutrality Hysteria 10/18/09

To make the blanket assertion that minority groups “fall into ludicrous traps” when taking positions on policy is to claim that minorities, and the groups they form to advocate on their behalf, are incapable of intelligently participating in sophisticated debates. Such statements are irresponsible, prejudiced and lack qualification.

To further suggest that the concerns of minority civil rights organizations are being directed to influence the only minority sitting on the FCC is indeed ludicrous. It is categorically unacceptable to claim that minority advocacy groups are colluding with certain interests to exploit the ethnic self-identification of government officials who happen to be minorities in leadership positions at the FCC.

Implying that minorities are easily duped and uninformed is astoundingly offensive. But to accuse the nation’s most respected and accomplished minority advocacy groups of consciously disregarding the interests of their constituents in order to abet the manipulation of minority officials is beyond insulting. The minority organizations to which Mr. Brodsky refers are groups which have a long legacy of dedicated efforts to advancing the cause of disadvantaged minorities in the United States. They are groups that were created by, led by, and staffed by, the very minorities the article accuses them of injuring. They are groups that have worked diligently to ensure that people of color are able to pursue their aspirations without discrimination.

The suggestion that minority organizations that oppose your position don’t do their own thinking, don’t have genuine concerns, or don’t have their constituents’ interests at heart is deeply offensive to us; therefore, we demand that you stop these attacks immediately, and repudiate them.

As advocates and leaders, we have a moral and ethical responsibility to ensure that the way we work, and the way we speak about colleagues who may not share our opinions, honors the legacy of the leaders who came before us and creates a righteous path for leaders of the future. We hope that you will join us in supporting a positive environment in which civil discourse regarding policy issues that affect our communities can take place.

Sincerely,

Hilary O. Shelton
Director, NAACP Washington Bureau
Vice President for Advocacy
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

Sylvia Aguilera
Executive Director
Hispanic Technology and Telecommunications Partnership

More Information

letter gigi sohn Final

When 20 organizations representing the communities most impacted by the Digital Divide issued a joint letter to the FCC last week, they added a new and much-needed element to discussions about net neutrality.

In recent weeks, legislators, ISPs, online application providers, mainstream advocates and ivory-tower digirati have fueled and shaped well-funded discussions about net neutrality into a din of vociferous rhetoric.

In the midst of these discussions, that have all but ignored the perspectives of the disenfranchised, minority groups have remained focused on their number one priority, eliminating the digital divide so that all Americans can have access to the benefits of broadband connectivity.

In their letter, these civil rights and advocacy organizations, including the Hispanic Technology and Telecommunications Partnership, urged the FCC to consider the impact of Internet regulations on populations that are unserved and underserved by broadband technologies.

The signers of this letter are the nation’s preeminent minority civil rights and advocacy organizations. It is time that policymakers incorporate our perspectives and expertise as they shape Internet policy.

In our evolving, diverse society, we can no longer let the digital elite dominate discussions that will shape the future of our Internet.

HTTP thanks its co-signers and supporters in this effort, who are working together to ensure that the Internet will be a place for ALL of us.

100 Black Men of America
Asian American Justice Center
Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies
ASPIRA
Black College Communications Association
Dominican American National Roundtable
Hispanic Technology and Telecommunications Partnership
Japanese American Citizens League
Latinos in Information Sciences and Technology Association
Labor Council on Latin American Advancement
Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, Inc.
League of United Latin American Citizens
MANA: A National Latina Organization
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
National Association of Neighborhoods
National Coalition of Black Civic Participation
National Disability Institute
National Puerto Rican Coalition
The Hispanic Institute
US Hispanic Leadership Institute

A copy of the letter is available at http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/retrieve.cgi?native_or_pdf=pdf&id_doc… ]]> http://httponline.org/2009/10/minority-voices-on-net-neutrality/feed/ 0 http://httponline.org/2009/10/guest-blog-from-http-member-the-hispanic-institute-2/ http://httponline.org/2009/10/guest-blog-from-http-member-the-hispanic-institute-2/#comments Fri, 09 Oct 2009 19:00:02 +0000 Sylvia Aguilera http://http.mt.fhdbeta.com/?p=105

Guest blogger, Gus West, from the Hispanic Institute, stresses the importance of mobile broadband to the Latino community.

One key demographic that has been underrepresented in policy debates regarding the Digital Divide is the Hispanic population. The fact that Hispanics are now the largest minority population in the US and also among the most digitally underserved means that our community’s needs and perspectives must be taken into account as the FCC develops the National Broadband Plan for America.

Despite a large proportion of Hispanics coming from lower income backgrounds, we have an incredible propensity for using new and available technologies. Of those Hispanics with Internet access, we consume mobile broadband at 53% clip, trailing only the African American usage rate of 58%. The social and economic benefits derived from using these technologies are well-known — Health IT, educational access, and workforce development. Innovation and growth in technology will enable widespread economic recovery for all sectors, but will have a particularly significant positive impact on the most vulnerable populations in our country.

The fact that our community uses mobile broadband at comparatively high rates does not mean that we should rest in our efforts to close the Digital Divide. Many in our community lack access to broadband in the home, a necessary resource in today’s society. If access to IT is limited or if investment in deployment or adoption is stifled, our community, which lags behind others by several socio-economic measures, will find it more difficult to make progress. The growing Hispanic population demands increased connectivity. We must continue to encourage investment in new technologies and telecommunications services. Policies that foster growth and incentivize partnerships on both a public and private level will help develop an environment that allows mobile broadband to spread and flourish.

At The Hispanic Institute, we have been studying the issue very closely. We recently released a white paper on Hispanic Broadband access that further details the importance of technology and the place of Hispanics in the telecommunications landscape. The study can be viewed at http://www.thehispanicinstitute.net. ]]> http://httponline.org/2009/10/guest-blog-from-http-member-the-hispanic-institute-2/feed/ 0 http://httponline.org/2009/09/latino-organizations-join-broadband-for-america-coalition/ http://httponline.org/2009/09/latino-organizations-join-broadband-for-america-coalition/#comments Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:00:55 +0000 Sylvia Aguilera http://http.mt.fhdbeta.com/?p=107

Six Hispanic nonprofit organizations, among them several HTTP members, have joined the Broadband for America Coalition. The coalition, which was announced last week, will educate policymakers and stakeholders about how the Internet and wireless networks work; drive policy discussions about how to achieve broadband everywhere and will work with the President, the Federal Communications Commission and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and Congress to develop and promote policies that maximize broadband access and adoption.

A diverse array of constituencies, policy perspectives, and philosophies are represented within the coalition’s 100+ membership. The fact that the coalition was able to attract organizations with such a diverse range of priorities demonstrates that, in today’s world, broadband deployment and adoption is an issue of universal importance. Hispanic Technology and Telecommunications Partnership members that have joined the coalition to date include:

Latinos in Information Science and Technology Association

MANA, A National Latina Organization

National Puerto Rican Coalition

U.S. Mexico Chamber of Commerce

The Broadband for America coalition welcomes additional members. For more information about the coalition, please visit www.broadbandforamerica.com. ]]> http://httponline.org/2009/09/latino-organizations-join-broadband-for-america-coalition/feed/ 0 http://httponline.org/2009/09/congressional-committee-finds-that-arbitron-ppm-underrepresents-latino-and-african-american-audiences/ http://httponline.org/2009/09/congressional-committee-finds-that-arbitron-ppm-underrepresents-latino-and-african-american-audiences/#comments Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:00:12 +0000 Sylvia Aguilera http://http.mt.fhdbeta.com/?p=103

Today, Chairman Ed Towns of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform announced a summary of findings from the Committee’s review of information subpoenaed from the Media Ratings Council regarding Arbitron’s Portable People Meter. The PPM is a device that was developed by Arbitron to measure radio station listenership.

Chairman Towns opened an investigation into Arbitron’s use of the PPM in June 2009 amid allegations that the system is based on flawed methodology. The ratings system underrepresents radio listening preferences of minorities and certain age groups. The erroneous ratings have had a disproportionately negative impact on minority and minority-owned radio stations, which have experienced a precipitous drop in advertising revenue.

Flawed Radio Audience Measurement System Threatens Minority Media

Key findings:

•On multiple occasions, the Media Ratings Council (MRC) refused to grant accreditation to PPM for use in all markets across the United States except for Houston and Riverside/San Bernardino. MRC denied Arbitron accreditation because of the company’s continual failure meet MRC minimum accreditation standards.

•“Persistent problems” with Arbitron’s minority sample audiences across the country. For example, New York City 2008 census data indicates African Americans comprised 25 percent and Hispanics comprised 27 percent of the City’s population. The subpoenaed documents show that Arbitron’s New York City sample audiences comprised of only 17.7 percent African-American and 21.5 percent Hispanic participants.

•Arbitron’s PPM radio ratings based on data from an unacceptably low percentage of their sample audiences. For example, in New York, where there is an average of 5400 sample audience participants, Arbitron uses only the data submitted by 2700 persons or 50% of the sample audience in order to create radio station ratings. Therefore, the radio listening habits of over four million ethnic minorities are represented by only 500 Arbitron recruits. The sample audiences are simply an inadequate representation of the true listening habits of New York’s diverse landscape.

•MRC found that Arbitron has made an insufficient effort to use bilingual interviews to recruit Spanish dominant Hispanic sample participants.

Chairman Towns directed Committee investigators to meet with Arbitron’s representatives in early July 2009 after he received many complaints from minority broadcasters about the accuracy PPM data. Although Arbitron promised full cooperation with the investigation, the company immediately prohibited MRC from providing the Committee with any documents related to the PPM. Shortly thereafter, Arbitron provided the Committee with insufficient documents that were either publicly available or biased toward the company. Chairman Towns then chose to issue a subpoena to MRC for the PPM documents.

The Hispanic Technology and Telecommunications Partnership (HTTP) thanks Chairman Towns and supports his efforts to ensure that media ratings systems present an accurate picture of minority and Spanish-language radio listenership.

Last week’s Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) conference had to have been the best event that CHCI has ever held. As if a visit by President Obama and the First Lady was not enough, luminaries such as Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, numerous Hispanic legislators, renowned journalists Soledad O’Brien and Maria Hinojosa, and stars such as Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez attended the gala to support CHCI’s educational initiatives.

The CHCI conference was an unprecedented demonstration that the Latino community is developing its own powerful presence among policymakers. Latinos and Latinas are also increasingly emerging as leaders in science and technology, a domain in which Latinos and other people of color have been traditionally underrepresented. CHCI honored one such Latina last week for her contributions in the area of green technology. Dr. Alicia Abella is Executive Director of AT&T’s Human Computer Interface Services Research Department, where she leads the development of technological innovations that help people collaborate at a distance and over time.

Dr. Abella received her Ph.D. and MS from Columbia University. She graduated from NYU with an undergraduate degree in computer science. In 2008 she became a member of the elite group of AT&T Science and Technology Medal award winners. She was also a recipient of the 2008 Hispanic Engineers National Achievement Award for Outstanding Technical Achievement.

Dr. Abella not only excels in her field, she is committed to developing the careers of women and minority researchers. She serves as Vice President of the Young Science Achievers Program and chair of the AT&T Labs Fellowship Committee.

Congratulations, Dr. Alicia Abella, for your accomplishments.