Page 4 - HCMO-2018

Hispanic CMO, presented by López Negrete Communications 2018 Edition
HISPANIC CMO FIRSTTHOUGHTTM
TACKLING PREJUDICES, AND DICTATES
As the fourth quarter of 2018 grinds its way toward the finish line, it may seem strange and upsetting that the topic of minority discounts is a centerpiece of a report that shines a well-deserved spotlight on the top “Thought Leaders” in the U.S. multicultural space. Sadly, such conversation is timely, pertinent, and alarming.
By Adam R Jacobson, Publisher, Hispanic Market Overview
“Fair Play.” It sounds so ‘80s, no? You may be right. We may be crazy. But it just may be lunatic to assume the media agencies and media departments within agencies aren’t still living in the past.
On February 6, 2018, the marketing communications agencies’ primary advocacy group, the 4 A’s, issued a “Fair Play Charter” to its members. The point of this action: To ensure that 4 A’s members, media shops and those media departments inside an agency pledged to recommit to fair and equitable treatment of minority media owners.
The charter set of a renewed wave of discussion on a subject that has been in the headlines for more than two decades: “No Urban Dictates.”
In May 1998, the multicultural media world was rocked by the disclosure of a 12-page internal memo from the Amcast division of Katz Radio Group. It suggested, as Radio & Records columnist Walt “Baby” Love reported, that sales representatives “steer clients away from buying airtime on black- and Hispanic-formatted radio stations.”
A firestorm of controversy resulted from the news. Yet, the problems persisted. In 2008, the FCC released a Report and Order on diversity requiring that all broadcasters’ advertising contracts contain clauses ensuring that there is no discrimination based on race or gender in the sale of advertising time. In March 2011, the Federal Communications Commission released an “Enforcement Advisory” alerting TV and radio stations that aired commercials that they must certify that their advertising sales contracts contain nondiscrimination clauses and do not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity.
Seven years later, it appears that the FCC’s effort failed to eradicate efforts to avoid Hispanic or African American media. The Fair Play Charter drafted in February 2018 was penned by the 4 A’s Media Leadership Council and inspired by discussions with veteran Urban radio consultant Sherman Kizart.
Louis Jones, EVP of Media & Data at the 4A’s, said of the charter: “It’s important that we match the conversations and policies around fairness and equality in the work space with equal