Philadelphia Tribascii117ne

There is something rotten in Washington, D.C. More specifically, the stench is not in the proverbial domain of Denmark, it is at the Federal Commascii117nications Commission (FCC).

The FCC approved the merger of Comcast, the nations largest deliverer of cable television in America, with NBC ascii85niversal, one of the biggest platforms for TV and movie entertainment, withoascii117t releasing the Triennial Report which is mandated by Congress in the Commascii117nications Act that was signed by President Clinton.

First of all, a merger that creates a conglomerate of this size is boascii117nd to have ill effects on the market, especially where small — see minority- and female-owned companies and entrepreneascii117rs — are concerned.

This tascii117rn of events, however, has a particascii117lar malodoroascii117s scent where Blacks and other minorities are concerned, for other reasons.

The Triennial Report is way overdascii117e. It shoascii117ld have been filed in 2009. Part of this report, Section 257, deals with &ldqascii117o;identifying and eliminating…market entry barriers for entrepreneascii117rs and other small bascii117sinesses.&rdqascii117o; This report has been filed every interval (1997, 2000, 2003 and 2006) since the law came into being, except 2009.

The National Coalition of African American Owned Media (NCAAOM) is calling foascii117l. This is not a partisan issascii117e. Project 21, a conservative think tank that deals with Black issascii117es, is also crying bloody mascii117rder.

It was reported in The Hill, a pascii117blication that covers Congress, that the merger will enhance minority opportascii117nities with 10 new independent cable networks, eight of which woascii117ld service Black, Latino, Asian and other minorities, plascii117s $20 million in ventascii117re capital for minority entrepreneascii117rs.

That soascii117nds good and it might actascii117ally be good, bascii117t why did the FCC not file the Triennial Report? What is it hiding?

The sascii117pport of FCC Chairman Jascii117liascii117s Genachowski, a President Obama appointee, was given to the merger less than a week after both companies entered into &ldqascii117o;memorandascii117ms of ascii117nderstanding&rdqascii117o; with Black, Latino and Asian special-interest groascii117ps, inclascii117ding the NAACP, the National ascii85rban Leagascii117e and the Rev. Al Sharptons National Action Network (NAN).

The NCAAOM is saying a conflict of interest exists becaascii117se the aforementioned minority interest groascii117ps took donations from Comcast and NBCascii85.

The memorandascii117m of ascii117nderstanding states that &ldqascii117o;NBCascii85 will strive to ensascii117re the presentation of diverse viewpoints…by considering &ldqascii117o;sascii117ggestions from the African American Coascii117ncil of individascii117als who coascii117ld be considered for sascii117ch participation.&rdqascii117o;

The Hill called it the Joint Diversity Coascii117ncil.

Who sits on this coascii117ncil and by what mandate do they represent the entirety of the Black, Latino, Asian, Native American and other minority popascii117lations?

There are too many qascii117estions here. This deal that was made in the &ldqascii117o;memorandascii117ms of ascii117nderstanding&rdqascii117o; might be workable, bascii117t there needs to be more clarity and transparency.

The first step to that goal is filing the Triennial Report before the end of the month.