On January 5 2011 iClick2Media filed with Sirius XM and the FCC its programming line up for final approval. Its program focus was to include voices of the undeserved, minorities and women all that are becoming more and more absent on radio. the channels will include:
1. AIR Politico (Commercial)
2. BlackSpin (Commercial)
3. The Women’s Network (Commercial)
4. iTalk Network (Commercial)
5. Today’s Health (Non-Commercial)
6. Music 101 (Non-Commercial)
7. Popular Culture (Non-Commercial)
8. Faith (Non-Commercial)
9. Digital News 365 (Non-Commercial)
10. World News 24/7 (Non-Commercial)
iClick2Media stands by its belief that if change is to happen then the undeserved, minorities and women must be an active voice in that change.
During iClick2Media's 2 year quest for control of the 24 channels set aside by the Memorandum Opinion and Order Report and order July 2008 iClick2Media has provided to the FCC statistical data which included “The Infinite Dial 2008: Radio’s Digital Platforms”, “Aribton Listening Report 2008”, “Online, Satellite, HD Radio” and Podcasting”. “Off The Dial”, released in 2007, found that women and minorities own just 6 and 7.7% of all broadcast radio stations in the country respectively. The year before in 2006 “Out of the Picture,” an unprecedented report on broadcast television ownership, which found that women of all races own just 5% of the 1,400 commercial broadcast television stations in America. People of color, who make up 33% of the national population (and will be more than 50% by 2050), own just 3.6%. To further the point of the dismal outlook of minority on the dial the Third Circuit chastised the FCC in Prometheus v. FCC for ignoring the issue of female and minority ownership. For each of the above statistical data prove a consistence decline in mass media when it comes to the undeserved, minority and women.
Here are so more statistical data that supports iClick2Media’s position
According to the U.S. Census Bureau report show our nation will be more racially and ethnically diverse, as well as much older, by midcentury:
• Minorities, now roughly one-third of the U.S. population, are expected to become the majority in 2042.
• By 2050, the minority population — everyone except for non-Hispanic, single-race whites — is projected to be 235.7 million out of a total U.S. population of 439 million.
• The nation is projected to reach the 400 million-population milestones in 2039.
• The black population is projected to increase to 65.7 million, or 15 percent in 2050.
• The Asian population is projected to climb to 40.6 million
• Among the remaining race groups, American Indians and Alaska Natives are projected to rise to 8.6 million.
• The Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander population is expected to more than double to 2.6 million.
• The number of people who identify themselves as being of two or more races is projected to triple to 16.2 million.
These number show the how as a nation we are changing and how we must not wait for it to happen we must be a part of that change and that what AIR is all about; providing content that give a voice to the voiceless, opens the door to an audience looking for such content and providing a space were the undeserved minorities and women can become a part of the conversation on satellite, mobile and in the digital space.
Though all mass media outlet in one way or the other has programming, there is not one that is sole focused on this population and how to fold them into the conversation. When Sirius and XM were separate company there might have been opportunity for that to occur but that opportunity was removed when the companies merged. But when you read the Memorandum Opinion and Order Report and order and the subsequent Orders, Comments, Reply Comments, Ex Parte Letters and face to face meeting with members of the FCC you can only reach one conclusion, these channels were set aside to ensure the undeserved, minorities and women would be included not excluded as it has happen and continues to happen in terrestrial radio.
The movement for change has always started on a local grassroots level throughout the fabric of American history. The goal of American Independent Radio is to give Main Street and beyond a voice, by using:
A high tech means so they too can be heard,
Have the ability to share the wealth of information, and
To experience our rich heritages and voices in a fair and open forum
iClick2Media see’s these channels as a Digital Grassroots Movement for the undeserved markets, giving them a voices, a place for their ideas and goals to be shared that can be heard in a race natural space. This helps moves iClick2Media’s goal forward removing racial and gender inequality in mass media. If we are to achieve a true race neutral society then we must first having an understanding of what opinions we have be it positive or negative and having an understanding that though we are different we all wants the same things. This concept helps to erased past ideas and assist in building an understanding of who people are what they share in common, their likes and dislikes. This idea is quintessential to making a difference for the undeserved, minorities and women currently not represented in mass media but needing to become a part of the conversation if change is to occur.
Malik Shakur
CEO
iClick2Media
An Independent Creative Artists Company
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