BET founder Robert Johnson’s and Ion Media’s Urban Television, a proposed minority-targeted over-the-air network pushing for must-carry status from the FCC, is gaining support from several civil rights groups for helping increase broadcast diversity, Broadcasting & Cable reports. The National Cable & Telecommunications Association, however, is opposed to the proposal, suggesting the group of channels opting for must-carry status does not follow previous FCC decisions, the trade says. NCTA adds that a must-carry decision would knock other channels off cable lineups, which violates cable’s First Amendment right to program its services, B&C says.
—Sergio Ibarra