Minority Ownership Policy and the FCC’s Incubator Program

As the result of FCC policy, the control of broadcast outlets among racial minorities and women remains at critically low levels. "Hatching Some Empirical Evidence: Minority Ownership Policy and the FCC’s Incubator Program" traces the FCC’s historical efforts on minority ownership policy, examines relevant literature on the relationship between minority ownership and diversity, and reports the empirical data of a study designed to assess minority focused content production by a variety of media companies in order to determine what ownership structures are currently producing minority focused content. The data suggest that the FCC has been correct to focus on smaller ownership structures, and this paper proposes policy options to increase ownership diversity.

This research was cited in an Amicus Brief filed in the Supreme Court case FCC v. Prometheus Radio Project.