Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment

About ACDDE

On April 24, 2017, Chairman Ajit Pai announced his intention to form a new federal advisory committee, the Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment (ACDDE or Committee). This Committee will provide advice and recommendations to the Commission regarding how to empower disadvantaged communities and accelerate the entry of small businesses, including those owned by women and minorities into the media, digital news and information, and audio and video programming industries. The Commission intends to establish the ACDDE for a period of two (2) years, and convene its first meeting at FCC headquarters in the fall of 2017.

The Committee will also provide recommendations to the Commission on how to ensure that disadvantaged communities are not denied the wide range of opportunities made possible by next-generation networks. This Committee is intended to provide an effective means for stakeholders with interests in these areas to exchange ideas and develop recommendations to the Commission on media ownership and procurement opportunities, empowering communities in order to spur educational, economic, and civic development, and consumer access to digital technologies. In formulating its recommendations, the Committee may gather and develop data, examine industry trends and practices, and consider both industry-based solutions, as well as targeted regulatory or legislative solutions to respond to the challenges identified by the Committee.