A committee that advises the Federal Communications Commission on diversity and “digital empowerment” in the media will have its mission broadened to cover the broader tech sector.
Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said the Advisory Committee for Diversity and Digital Empowerment will be renamed the Communications Equity and Diversity Council.
“This committee is charged with providing recommendations to ensure that underserved communities are not denied the wide range of opportunities made possible by next-generation networks. Jamila Bess Johnson will remain the Designated Federal Officer for the committee, which will run for two years.”
The committee was created in 2017 with the goal of providing advice and recommendations about how to help disadvantaged communities and accelerate the entry of small businesses, “including those owned by women and minorities into the media, digital news and information, and audio and video programming industries.”
Rosenworcel complimented its work and described its members as including “some of the most talented civic-minded people in the communications industry, helping to open doors of opportunity that too often have been closed to women and minorities.”
But she said she hopes for “meaningful progress on these issues” of diversity and equity across the tech sector.
The current committee chair is Anna M. Gomez, partner at Wiley Rein, representing the Hispanic National Bar Association. Among current members who will be familiar to radio readers are Raúl Alarcón of the Spanish Broadcasting System, Caroline Beasley of Beasley Media Group, Skip Dillard of Emmis Communications, Nimisha Shukla of NJ Broadcasting/South Asian Broadcasting and James L. Winston of the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters.
