[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Page 14606]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               EXPANDING DIVERSITY OF AMERICA'S AIRWAVES

  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, the lack of diversity in our Nation's 
radio and television media ownership is a far cry from the reality in 
which we live. Multilingual and multicultural stations are critical to 
the fabric of communities all across this country, yet their access to 
the airwaves increasingly has been disappearing.
  It is clearly in the best interest of our democracy that media 
ownership reflects the wealth of this Nation's diversity.
  That is why today I pause to applaud Clear Channel and Minority Media 
and Telecommunications Council, MMTC, for their efforts to expand the 
diversity in media ownership with their recent partnership. Clear 
Channel has donated six radio stations to MMTC to use for training 
purposes and ultimately for sale to minority and women broadcasters.
  I am pleased to say that one of these stations is in my home State of 
New Jersey. Through this program, ``Radio Vision Cristiana,'' a 
minority broadcast company, has purchased WTOC, based in Newton, NJ, 
and will use the station to broadcast Hispanic religious programming.
  Diversity in media ownership enhances diverse perspectives and better 
serves the community as a whole. It provides a window into communities, 
into languages, views, and values that might otherwise be totally 
suppressed without those outlets.
  So I am pleased to acknowledge the partnership between Clear Channel 
and MMTC to furthering this goal, and I only hope that this deal will 
encourage others to donate stations so that the American airwaves can 
one day reflect the diverse makeup of the country's people.

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