Civil Rights Groups Want FCC Vote on EEO Data Collection

The FCC should vote in the near future on reinstating equal employment opportunity data collection, said public interest and civil rights groups in a meeting with Media Bureau staff Friday, according to an ex parte filing posted in docket 19-177 Wednesday. The groups were the United Church of Christ Media Justice Ministry, the Leadership Council on Civil and Human Rights, the National Hispanic Media Coalition and the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council. “It is a best practice and consistent with current business and regulatory norms to collect and publish employment data,” the filing said. “Essentially the same data” is used on EEO and FCC forms “so companies are most likely already in possession of the data needed for both forms,” the filing said. The groups also said the data should be made public: “Public data will best serve the public interest.”