Work Place

The FCC’s Federal Advisory Committee on Diversity for Communications in the Digital Age (“Diversity Committee”) was created by Chairman Michael K. Powell in September of 2003. As part of its objectives, the Committee manifests that it will “provide guidance to the Commission on policies and practices that could increase the diversity of ownership and could create opportunities for minorities and women to advance to managerial positions in the communications sector as well as other related sectors of the economy.” The Committee is also charged with developing a description of best practices within the communications sector for promoting diversity of participation.

The Career Advancement Subcommittee ("Subcommittee") of the FCC's Diversity Committee first sent an inquiry letter in December 2003 to a broad range of industry-related trade associations and foundations regarding their respective member companies' hiring, promotion and retention practices. The responses were not as in-depth as the Subcommittee had anticipated. In order to get a more accurate picture of best practices, the Subcommittee submitted letters in March 2004 to thirty-three communications and a few non-communications related companies seeking narrative and documentation regarding each company’s hiring, promotion, retention and procurement practices. Specifically, the Subcommittee sought to identify workplace diversity “best practices” that would be worthy of widespread acceptance throughout the broadcast, telecommunications (wireless and wireline), cable, satellite, Internet, and broadband industries.

The Subcommittee has commissioned the Law Offices of Fatima Fofana & Associates to compile data on “best practice” solutions in the workforce based on the survey responses. . This report is intended to serve as a guide for the Subcommittee to develop a universal set of best practices for the communications industry.