FCC Names Members Of Advisory Committee On Diversity And Digital Empowerment

Committee

FCC Chairman AJIT PAI has named the members of the Commission's new Advisory Committee On Diversity And Digital Empowerment.  NETCOMMUNICATIONS, LLC President JULIA JOHNSON will serve as Chair of the committee and SHOOTINGSTAR BROADCASTING President/CEO DIANE SUTTER will serve as Vice Chair.

Members of the panel will include WILKINSON BARKER KNAUER's KATHLEEN Q. ABERNATHY; WOMEN IN CABLE TELECOMMUNICATIONS' MARIA E. BRENNAN; COMCAST's RUDY BRIOCHE;  U.S. BLACK CHAMBERS, INC.'s RON BUSBY, SR.; V-ME MEDIA, INC.'s VICTOR X. CERDA; WILCO ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS, INC.'s BRIGITTE F. DANIEL; HOWARD UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATIONS' JANNETTE L. DATES; ODYSSEY MEDIA's LINDA SPRADLEY DUNN; VERIZON's DONNA M. EPPS; CBS RADIO's ANDRE FERNANDEZ; the MULTICULTURAL MEDIA, TELECOM AND INTERNET COUNCIL's MAURITA COLEY FLIPPIN; CONNECTED NATION's HEATHER GATE; JULGLO PRODUCTIONS' DAVID HONIG; ACT-1 GROUP's JANICE BRYANT HOWROYD; and THE WIRELESS INFRASTRUCTURE ASSOCIATION's DR. RONALD JOHNSON.

Also, KIZART MEDIA PARTNERS' SHERMAN K. KIZART; the SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA INTERNET SOCIETY's FATEMA KOTHARI; the HISPANIC LEADERSHIP FUND's MARIO LOPEZ; the NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE's MARC H. MORIAL; the UNITED STATES HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE's JAVIER PALOMAREZ; the EMMA BOWEN FOUNDATION's HENRY RIVERA; DISH NETWORK/DISHLATINO's ALFREDO RODRIGUEZ; ACT/THE APP ASSOCIATION's BRIAN SCARPELLI; the ASIAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE's CINDY (XIN) SHAO; T-MOBILE's MARIE R. SYLLA-DIXON; the BROOKINGS INSTITUTION's DR. NICOL TURNER-LEE; the LEAGUE OF LATIN AMERICAN CITIZENS' BRENT WILKES; the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLACK OWNED BROADCASTERS' JAMES L. WINSTON; and the LGBT TECHNOLOGY PARTNERSHIP & INSTITUTE's CHRIS WOOD.

Three working groups, Broadcast Diversity and Development, Digital
Empowerment and Inclusion, and Diversity in the Tech Sector, will be helping the Committee in its activities.  The first meeting of the Committee will be held on SEPTEMBER 25th at FCC headquarters in WASHINGTON, and public comments for the Committee can be filed under GN Docket No. 17-208.

“I am pleased to see the Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment get up and running,” said PAI.  “All Americans should have the opportunity to participate in the
communications marketplace, no matter their race, gender, religion, ethnicity, or sexual
orientation.  I hope this committee will help our agency take important steps towards increasing diversity throughout the communications industry and bringing digital opportunity to all Americans.”

“The Commission was fortunate to have such a diverse and well-qualified group of individuals apply to serve on the committee,” added PAI. “I would like to thank JULIA and DIANE for agreeing to lead the ACDDE, all of the selected members for the work they will be doing over the course of the next two years, and all applicants for demonstrating their commitment to promoting diversity and digital empowerment.”

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