The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights  The
Nation's Premier Civil and Human Rights Coalition  The Nation's
Premier Civil and Human Rights Coalition  Media Diversity and
the FCC: Background  Restraining media concentration is central
to the mission of the FCC, the federal agency that regulates
interstate and international communications by radio,
television, wire, satellite and cable; and media ownership,
including how many stations one company can own in each market
and the cross-ownership of different sectors, such as broadcast
stations and daily newspapers.  Under the Communications Act of
1934, the FCC is charged with promoting “localism” in broadcast
media and enhancing democracy by insuring that broadcasters
“present those views and voices which are representative of
[their] community and which would otherwise…be barred from the
airwaves.” The civil rights community pushed the FCC to address
this mandate and promote greater ownership and employment in
broadcasting for women and minorities.