roundtable: Spectrum Flexibility
roundtable: Spectrum Flexibility
Spectrum Flexibility
Faye M. Anderson (fmanders@CapAccess.org)
Tue, 15 Aug 1995 22:32:42 -0400
Date: Tue, 15 Aug 1995 22:32:42 -0400
Message-Id: <199508160232.WAA24022@cap1.CapAccess.org>
From: fmanders@CapAccess.org (Faye M. Anderson)
To: roundtable@cni.org
Subject: Spectrum Flexibility
Dear Colleague,
Attached is the July/August issue of the Council of 100 Report. I
want to direct your attention to the item regarding the Campaign
for Broadcast Competition, a national coalition of public policy
groups and individuals organized to block the proposed giveaway
of digital broadcast spectrum with an estimated value of more than
*$100 billion* to incumbent broadcasters.
Drop me a line if you're interested in getting involved in the
Campaign or would like more information (a formal kick-off is
planned for after Labor Day when Congress returns).
Thanks much.
Faye M. Anderson
Executive Director
Council of 100
<fmanders@CapAccess.org>
COUNCIL OF 100 REPORT
=====================================
July/August 1995 Vol. 4, No. 4
=====================================
CHAIRMAN'S CORNER
By Milton Bins
At a press conference on July 27, 1995, Senate Republican Leader Bob
Dole and Rep. Charles Canady (R-Fla.) introduced the Equal Opportunity
Act of 1995. At that time, I delivered the following statement in
support of the legislation:
The Council of 100, a national network of African American Republicans,
was founded in 1974 under the leadership of the late Samuel C. Jackson,
a law school classmate of Sen. Bob Dole. The Council of 100 applauds
the leadership and measured approach taken by Sen. Dole and Rep.
Charles Canady in introducing the Equal Opportunity Act of 1995. This
legislation provides a unifying and coherent framework in which to
foster inclusion and equal opportunity for all Americans without
discriminating against any American on the basis of race, ethnicity
or sex.
The long-delayed national conversation about the role of the federal
government in promoting equal opportunity will now take place where
it should: in the Congress of the United States. It is time for the
American people to speak through their elected representatives as we
build a new national consensus in support of inclusion, fairness and
equal protection of the law.
A fair reading of the legislation will allay concerns that the
legislation represents the "opening salvo" of a Republican-led
assault on affirmative action, and is part of a plan to roll back the
gains African Americans in particular have made over the past 30 years.
Rather, its purpose is to remove a major roadblock--group preferences--
that divide and balkanize Americans along racial, ethnic and gender
lines as we struggle to build an opportunity society for all of us.
The legislation calls for vigorous enforcement of nondiscrimination
laws. It leaves in place remedies to redress discrimination available
under any law, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
It does not prohibit voluntary efforts such as minority outreach and
recruitment. In fact, casting a wider net to increase the pool of
qualified applicants is expressly encouraged. The act also exempts
historically black colleges and universities in recognition of their
unique role in fostering educational opportunities for all Americans.
The myopic fixation on past wrongs that can never be righted, and on
remedies that have had limited impact on expanding employment and
business opportunities keep African Americans looking backwards.
While we "cannot escape history," we do not have to be trapped by
our history. As Frederick Douglass said, "We have to do with the
past only as we can make it useful to the present and to the future."
We believe the future will belong to those who are prepared and who
are willing to compete in a knowledge-based, global economy.
Today begins the hard work of formulating a new paradigm for equal
opportunity for all Americans. The Council of 100 looks forward to
working with Sen. Dole and Rep. Canady as they point us toward the
future with the Equal Opportunity Act of 1995.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY ACT OF 1995 FACT SHEET
The Equal Opportunity Act of 1995 is designed to restore to federal
law the principles of nondiscrimination and equal opportunity.
The bill contains two main operative provisions:
(1) Prohibits the use of racial and gender preferences by the
federal government in:
o awarding and administering federal contracts
o federal hiring
o administering federally-conducted programs or activities
(2) Prohibits the federal government from requiring or
encouraging federal contractors or subcontractors to grant racial
or gender preferences with respect to their employees, suppliers or
subcontractors.
The Act defines "preferences" as "any preferential treatment"
including but not limited to quotas, set-asides, goals, timetables
and other numerical objectives.
The Act preserves the ability to engage in nondiscrimination outreach,
recruiting and marketing efforts--the traditional forms of affirmative
action.
The bill does not affect the existing anti-discrimination laws in any
manner whatsoever, and so maintains the full range of remedies
currently available to proven victims of racial or sex discrimination.
The Act also contains exemptions for historically black colleges and
universities, Indian tribes, combat-related and national security
functions, and gender-based bona fide occupational qualifications.
The bill does not affect preference programs adopted by state and
local governments, private sector entities or educational institutions,
unless those programs were adopted pursuant to requirements imposed
upon the entity because it is a federal contractor.
A copy of the Equal Opportunity Act of 1995, S. 1085 and H.R. 2128,
may be obtained from the Senate and House Document Rooms, respectively.
For S. 1085, call (202) 224-7860; for H.R. 2128, call (202) 225-3456.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
WHAT'S GOING ON . . .
By Faye M. Anderson
The Council of 100 was one of several organizations that participated
in the July 27th press conference called by Senate Republican Leader
Bob Dole and Rep. Charles Canady to introduce the Equal Opportunity
Act of 1995. In introducing S. 1065 Sen. Dole said, "We must begin
by ending the ridiculous pretense of quota tokenism--special contracts,
a set-aside there, a couple of TV stations, a seat or two in the
Cabinet. This is a band-aid. A diversion. A corruption of the
principles of individual liberty and equal opportunity upon which our
country was founded."
The purpose of the legislation is to ensure that all Americans are
treated equally by the federal government in employment, contracting,
subcontracting and federally-assisted programs. "Affirmative action"
programs that are designed to cast a wider net and to break the "old
boy" network are explicitly endorsed. The Act merely prohibits
"affirmative action" programs such as minority business set-asides
and other preferences based on race, ethnicity or sex.
The Council will work with Sen. Dole, Rep. Canady and the congressional
leadership to reach out to the stakeholder communities to get their
input and to provide them with the information they need to separate
fact from fiction, emotion from empowerment, data from demagoguery.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
CAMPAIGN FOR BROADCAST COMPETITION
A provision in the telecommunications reform bill pending before
Congress directs the Federal Communications Commission to *give* new
spectrum--airwaves which can carry digital broadcasting, cellular
phone calls, pay-per-view, paging-- worth billions of dollars to
incumbent broadcasters to use as they choose with no additional public
interest obligations. The estimated value of the spectrum ranges from
$11 billion to $70 billion. These are conservative estimates.
According to a report prepared by the FCC for Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman
(D-Conn.), the private market valuation could be as high as *$500
billion* once digital television services are fully deployed in the
next 15 years. The beneficiaries of the private auctions will not be
the American people who own the airwaves; rather, the chief
beneficiaries will be Disney, Westinghouse, General Electric and Rupert
Murdoch. Under the guise of "spectrum flexibility," incumbent
broadcasters will shut out new entrants and new !
voices at the dawn of the digital age.
The Campaign for Broadcast Competition is a national coalition of
public policy groups and individuals who have joined in an effort to
block this egregious example of corporate welfare and corporate greed.
The goal of the Campaign is simple: Auction the airwaves to the
highest bidder and let the free market determine whether there's a
consumer demand for digital television services. The Campaign is
spearheaded by Karen Kerrigan, president of the Small Business
Survival Committee.
A number of columnists and commentators have written in support of an
auction, including William Safire of The New York Times and Tom Shales
of The Washington Post. The Campaign is beginning to heat up. Indeed,
on Aug. 13th on National Empowerment Television (NET), I debated this
proposed spectrum-grab with James C. May, executive vice president for
government relations of the National Association of Broadcasters. NET
reaches 20 million homes nationwide.
For more information about the Campaign, please give me a call at
(202) 775-5496, or drop me a line at: fmanders@capaccess.org.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
ABOUT THE COUNCIL OF 100 NETWORK
Organized in 1974 under the leadership of the late Samuel C. Jackson,
the Council of 100 is a national network of African American
Republicans. The Council's mission is to promote the economic and
political empowerment of African Americans through full participation
in the two-party system. The Council is supported by membership dues,
and contributions from individuals and corporations.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
--
Faye M. Anderson
P.O. Box 66051
Washington, DC 20035-6051
Ph: (202) 484-0964 ^^ Fax: (202) 484-7029
<fmanders@capaccess.org>
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