Minority and Media Telecommunications Council Executive Director David Honig has a different spin on the issue of increasing broadcast ownership by minorities and women.
In a Petition for Rulemaking, Honig suggests the commission make “a small but important change” to its existing policy concerning the sale and purchase of stations to small business to enhance opportunities for small businesses to get into station ownership.
Specifically, the group proposes the agency allow “a grandfathered cluster of radio stations that otherwise exceeds the applicable ownership cap to be transferred in its entirety to any third party – just small business entities – subject to a condition that the third party transfer the stations exceeding the cap within 12 months to a small business.”
Honig states the approach would increase the opportunities for small businesses by providing extra time for a new entrant to raise the necessary capital to bid for the station.
The proposal is notable because it refers to “small businesses” rather than minorities or women.
