Outgoing FCC Chairman William Kennard expressed outrage Tuesday over a federal appellate court decision effectively nullifying the commission's equal employment opportunity rule. In a statement, Kennard, who is black, said, "At a time when many Americans are outraged at the lack of minorities in prime time and in the board rooms of America, the broadcasters have once again used the courts to strike down even a modest outreach effort." In its ruling, the court had said that the FCC rule "put official pressure upon broadcasters to recruit minority candidates, thus creating a race-based classification that is not narrowly tailored to support a compelling governmental interest and is therefore unconstitutional."

Source: Studio Briefing