FCC 73.2080 Revised as of October 1, 2007
Goto Year:2006 |
2008
Sec. 73.2080 Equal employment opportunities (EEO).
(a) General EEO policy. Equal opportunity in employment shall be afforded by
all licensees or permittees of commercially or noncommercially operated AM,
FM, TV, Class A TV or international broadcast stations (as defined in this
part) to all qualified persons, and no person shall be discriminated against
in employment by such stations because of race, color, religion, national
origin, or sex. Religious radio broadcasters may establish religious belief
or affiliation as a job qualification for all station employees. However,
they cannot discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin or
gender from among those who share their religious affiliation or belief. For
purposes of this rule, a religious broadcaster is a licensee which is, or is
closely affiliated with, a church, synagogue, or other religious entity,
including a subsidiary of such an entity.
(b) General EEO program requirements. Each broadcast station shall
establish, maintain, and carry out a positive continuing program of specific
practices designed to ensure equal opportunity and nondiscrimination in
every aspect of station employment policy and practice. Under the terms of
its program, a station shall:
(1) Define the responsibility of each level of management to ensure vigorous
enforcement of its policy of equal opportunity, and establish a procedure to
review and control managerial and supervisory performance;
(2) Inform its employees and recognized employee organizations of the equal
employment opportunity policy and program and enlist their cooperation;
(3) Communicate its equal employment opportunity policy and program and its
employment needs to sources of qualified applicants without regard to race,
color, religion, national origin, or sex, and solicit their recruitment
assistance on a continuing basis;
(4) Conduct a continuing program to exclude all unlawful forms of prejudice
or discrimination based upon race, color, religion, national origin, or sex
from its personnel policies and practices and working conditions; and
(5) Conduct a continuing review of job structure and employment practices
and adopt positive recruitment, job design, and other measures needed to
ensure genuine equality of opportunity to participate fully in all
organizational units, occupations, and levels of responsibility.
(c) Specific EEO program requirements. Under the terms of its program, a
station employment unit must:
(1) Recruit for every full-time job vacancy in its operation. A job filled
by an internal promotion is not considered a vacancy for which recruitment
is necessary. Religious radio broadcasters who establish religious
affiliation as a qualification for a job position are not required to comply
with these recruitment requirements with respect to that job position or
positions, but will be expected to make reasonable, good faith efforts to
recruit applicants who are qualified based on their religious affiliation.
Nothing in this section shall be interpreted to require a broadcaster to
grant preferential treatment to any individual or group based on race,
color, national origin, religion, or gender.
(i) A station employment unit shall use recruitment sources for each vacancy
sufficient in its reasonable, good faith judgment to widely disseminate
information concerning the vacancy.
(ii) In addition to such recruitment sources, a station employment unit
shall provide notification of each full-time vacancy to any organization
that distributes information about employment opportunities to job seekers
or refers job seekers to employers, upon request by such organization. To be
entitled to notice of vacancies, the requesting organization must provide
the station employment unit with its name, mailing address, e-mail address
(if applicable), telephone number, and contact person, and identify the
category or categories of vacancies of which it requests notice. (An
organization may request notice of all vacancies).
(2) Engage in at least four (if the station employment unit has more than
ten full-time employees and is not located in a smaller market) or two (if
it has five to ten full-time employees and/or is located entirely in a
smaller market) of the following initiatives during each two-year period
beginning with the date stations in the station employment unit are required
to file renewal applications, or the second, fourth or sixth anniversaries
of that date.
(i) Participation in at least four job fairs by station personnel who have
substantial responsibility in the making of hiring decisions;
(ii) Hosting of at least one job fair;
(iii) Co-sponsoring at least one job fair with organizations in the business
and professional community whose membership includes substantial
participation of women and minorities;
(iv) Participation in at least four events sponsored by organizations
representing groups present in the community interested in broadcast
employment issues, including conventions, career days, workshops, and
similar activities;
(v) Establishment of an internship program designed to assist members of the
community to acquire skills needed for broadcast employment;
(vi) Participation in job banks, Internet programs, and other programs
designed to promote outreach generally ( i.e., that are not primarily
directed to providing notification of specific job vacancies);
(vii) Participation in scholarship programs designed to assist students
interested in pursuing a career in broadcasting;
(viii) Establishment of training programs designed to enable station
personnel to acquire skills that could qualify them for higher level
positions;
(ix) Establishment of a mentoring program for station personnel;
(x) Participation in at least four events or programs sponsored by
educational institutions relating to career opportunities in broadcasting;
(xi) Sponsorship of at least two events in the community designed to inform
and educate members of the public as to employment opportunities in
broadcasting;
(xii) Listing of each upper-level category opening in a job bank or
newsletter of media trade groups whose membership includes substantial
participation of women and minorities;
(xiii) Provision of assistance to unaffiliated non-profit entities in the
maintenance of web sites that provide counseling on the process of searching
for broadcast employment and/or other career development assistance
pertinent to broadcasting;
(xiv) Provision of training to management level personnel as to methods of
ensuring equal employment opportunity and preventing discrimination;
(xv) Provision of training to personnel of unaffiliated non-profit
organizations interested in broadcast employment opportunities that would
enable them to better refer job candidates for broadcast positions;
(xvi) Participation in other activities designed by the station employment
unit reasonably calculated to further the goal of disseminating information
as to employment opportunities in broadcasting to job candidates who might
otherwise be unaware of such opportunities.
(3) Analyze its recruitment program on an ongoing basis to ensure that it is
effective in achieving broad outreach to potential applicants, and address
any problems found as a result of its analysis.
(4) Periodically analyze measures taken to:
(i) Disseminate the station's equal employment opportunity program to job
applicants and employees;
(ii) Review seniority practices to ensure that such practices are
nondiscriminatory;
(iii) Examine rates of pay and fringe benefits for employees having the same
duties, and eliminate any inequities based upon race, national origin,
color, religion, or sex discrimination;
(iv) Utilize media for recruitment purposes in a manner that will contain no
indication, either explicit or implicit, of a preference for one race,
national origin, color, religion or sex over another;
(v) Ensure that promotions to positions of greater responsibility are made
in a nondiscriminatory manner;
(vi) Where union agreements exist, cooperate with the union or unions in the
development of programs to ensure all persons of equal opportunity for
employment, irrespective of race, national origin, color, religion, or sex,
and include an effective nondiscrimination clause in new or renegotiated
union agreements; and
(vii) Avoid the use of selection techniques or tests that have the effect of
discriminating against any person based on race, national origin, color,
religion, or sex.
(5) Retain records to document that it has satisfied the requirements of
paragraphs (c)(1) and (2) of this section. Such records, which may be
maintained in an electronic format, shall be retained until after grant of
the renewal application for the term during which the vacancy was filled or
the initiative occurred. Such records need not be submitted to the FCC
unless specifically requested. The following records shall be maintained:
(i) Listings of all full-time job vacancies filled by the station employment
unit, identified by job title;
(ii) For each such vacancy, the recruitment sources utilized to fill the
vacancy (including, if applicable, organizations entitled to notification
pursuant to paragraph (c)(1)(ii) of this section, which should be separately
identified), identified by name, address, contact person and telephone
number;
(iii) Dated copies of all advertisements, bulletins, letters, faxes,
e-mails, or other communications announcing vacancies;
(iv) Documentation necessary to demonstrate performance of the initiatives
required by paragraph (c)(2) of this section, including sufficient
information to fully disclose the nature of the initiative and the scope of
the station's participation, including the station personnel involved;
(v) The total number of interviewees for each vacancy and the referral
source for each interviewee; and
(vi) The date each vacancy was filled and the recruitment source that
referred the hiree.
(6) Annually, on the anniversary of the date a station is due to file its
renewal application, the station shall place in its public file, maintained
pursuant to Sec. 73.3526 or Sec. 73.3527, and on its web site, if it has one, an EEO
public file report containing the following information (although if any
broadcast licensee acquires a station pursuant to FCC Form 314 or FCC Form
315 during the twelve months covered by the EEO public file report, its EEO
public file report shall cover the period starting with the date it acquired
the station):
(i) A list of all full-time vacancies filled by the station's employment
unit during the preceding year, identified by job title;
(ii) For each such vacancy, the recruitment source(s) utilized to fill the
vacancy (including, if applicable, organizations entitled to notification
pursuant to paragraph (c)(1)(ii) of this section, which should be separately
identified), identified by name, address, contact person and telephone
number;
(iii) The recruitment source that referred the hiree for each full-time
vacancy during the preceding year;
(iv) Data reflecting the total number of persons interviewed for full-time
vacancies during the preceding year and the total number of interviewees
referred by each recruitment source utilized in connection with such
vacancies; and
(v) A list and brief description of initiatives undertaken pursuant to
paragraph (c)(2) of this section during the preceding year.
(d) Small station exemption. The provisions of paragraphs (b) and (c) of
this section shall not apply to station employment units that have fewer
than five full-time employees.
(e) Definitions. For the purposes of this rule:
(1) A full-time employee is a permanent employee whose regular work schedule
is 30 hours per week or more.
(2) A station employment unit is a station or a group of commonly owned
stations in the same market that share at least one employee.
(3) A smaller market includes metropolitan areas as defined by the Office of
Management and Budget with a population of fewer than 250,000 persons and
areas outside of all metropolitan areas as defined by the Office of
Management and Budget.
(f) Enforcement. The following provisions apply to employment activity
concerning full-time positions at each broadcast station employment unit
(defined in this part) employing five or more persons in full-time
positions, except where noted.
(1) All broadcast stations, including those that are part of an employment
unit with fewer than five full-time employees, shall file a Broadcast Equal
Employment Opportunity Program Report (Form 396) with their renewal
application. Form 396 is filed on the date the station is due to file its
application for renewal of license. If a broadcast licensee acquires a
station pursuant to FCC Form 314 or FCC Form 315 during the period that is
to form the basis for the Form 396, information provided on its Form 396
should cover the licensee's EEO recruitment activity during the period
starting with the date it acquired the station. Stations are required to
maintain a copy of their Form 396 in the station's public file in accordance
with the provisions of Sec. Sec. 73.3526 and 73.3527.
(2) The Commission will conduct a mid-term review of the employment
practices of each broadcast television station and each radio station that
is part of an employment unit of more than ten full-time employees four
years following the station's most recent license expiration date as
specified in Sec. 73.1020. Each such licensee is required to file with the
Commission the Broadcast Mid-Term Report (FCC Form 397) four months prior to
that date. If a broadcast licensee acquires a station pursuant to FCC Form
314 or FCC Form 315 during the period that is to form the basis for the Form
397, its Report should cover the licensee's EEO recruitment activity during
the period starting with the date it acquired the station.
(3) If a station is subject to a time brokerage agreement, the licensee
shall file Forms 396, Forms 397, and EEO public file reports concerning only
its own recruitment activity. If a licensee is a broker of another station
or stations, the licensee-broker shall include its recruitment activity for
the brokered station(s) in determining the bases of Forms 396, Forms 397 and
the EEO public file reports for its own station. If a licensee-broker owns
more than one station, it shall include its recruitment activity for the
brokered station in the Forms 396, Forms 397, and EEO public file reports
filed for its own station that is most closely affiliated with, and in the
same market as, the brokered station. If a licensee-broker does not own a
station in the same market as the brokered station, then it shall include
its recruitment activity for the brokered station in the Forms 396, Forms
397, and EEO public file reports filed for its own station that is
geographically closest to the brokered station.
(4) Broadcast stations subject to this section shall maintain records of
their recruitment activity necessary to demonstrate that they are in
compliance with the EEO rule. Stations shall ensure that they maintain
records sufficient to verify the accuracy of information provided in Forms
396, Forms 397, and EEO public file reports. To determine compliance with
the EEO rule, the Commission may conduct inquiries of licensees at random or
if it has evidence of a possible violation of the EEO rule. In addition, the
Commission will conduct random audits. Specifically, each year approximately
five percent of all licensees in the television and radio services will be
randomly selected for audit, ensuring that, even though the number of radio
licensees is significantly larger than television licensees, both services
are represented in the audit process. Upon request, stations shall make
records available to the Commission for its review.
(5) The public may file complaints throughout the license term based on a
station's Form 397 or the contents of a station's public file. Provisions
concerning filing, withdrawing, or non-filing of informal objections or
petitions to deny license renewal, assignment, or transfer applications are
delineated in Sec. Sec. 73.3584 and 73.3587–3589 of the Commission's rules.
(g) Sanctions and remedies. The Commission may issue appropriate sanctions
and remedies for any violation of this rule.
[ 68 FR 689 , Jan. 7, 2003]
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