MMTC 2023 Winter/Spring Newsletter l April 21, 2023
MMTC Fellowship Program Celebrates
8th Year of Training & Mentoring
TMT Policy Leaders
On February 23, 2023, MMTC celebrated the eighth anniversary of its Fellowship Program with an in-person and virtual reception at Hogan Lovells in Washington, DC. Current and former MMTC fellows, current and former board members and staff, and industry professionals attended the hybrid event. Check out the photo gallery below.

MMTC President and CEO Robert Branson and MMTC Board member and Secretary Ari Fitzgerald, a partner at Hogan Lovells, gave opening remarks. MMTC President Emeritus David Honig shared his reflections about the history and impact of the fellowship program. MMTC alumna Dr. Nicol Turner Lee paid tribute to the current and former fellows.

Click the button below to watch the reception program video.

Scroll down to watch the short video about MMTC's fellowship program.
Watch Video About MMTC Fellowship Program
MMTC Fellowship Program Reception Photo Gallery
Thanks 2023 Spring Fellows!
Special thanks to MMTC 2023 Spring fellows Brittany Brown, Alexandra Cohen, Niya Davis, Pia-Milan Davis, Terran Lane, Eric Petterson, Brandon Smith, and Bianca Thervil for their dedication and hard work. this year.

Learn more about the fellows by reading their bios below.

Brittany Brown, a second-year student at the University of Florida Levin (UFL) College of Law, is serving as the MMTC Henry Geller fellow. Brittany participated in MMTC's fellowship program in 2022. She is a John Lewis Fellow (full tuition, merit-based scholarship), the Academic Chair of the Black Law Students Association, and a symposium volunteer for the Entertainment and Sports Law Society.

Alexandra Cohen, a third-year student at American University Washington College of Law (WCL), is serving as the MMTC Henry Rivera fellow. Alexandra participated in MMTC's fellowship program in 2022. She is the Vice President of Communications and Outreach for the If/When/How WC: Chapter and a member of the Latin American Law Student Association. In addition, she works as a Research Assistant intern for the Tech, Law & Security Program at WCL.

Niya Davis, a second-year student at the University of Florida Levin (UFL) College of Law, is serving as the MMTC Earl J. Moore fellow. Niya is a member of the UFL College of Law's Journal of Law and Public Policy and Alternative Dispute Resolution Team. She is also Vice President of the W. George Allen Chapter of the Black Law Students Association.

Pia-Milan Green, a third-year student at the University of Florida Levin College of Law, is serving as the MMTC Cathy Hughes fellow. Pia-Milan also participated in MMTC's fellowship program in 2021. She is the editor of the Journal of Technology, Law & Policy at the University of Florida Levin College of Law. In 2021 and 2022, she served as president of the W. George Allen Chapter of the Black Law Students Association and Caribbean Law Students Association. She worked as a summer associate at Akerman LLP and the Artificial Intelligence & Equality Initiative Research Fellow at the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs. While she was at the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, she Authored a paper entitled "AI: A Caribbean Perspective on its Development, Use, and Governance," and an insight piece entitled "“AI Governance”: A Black Gen Z-er’s Two Cents on The Conversation."

Terran Lane, a third-year student at the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical College of Law, is serving as the MMTC Earle K. Moore fellow. Terran also participated in MMTC's fellowship program in 2021. Currently, she works as a legal fellow for the Florida State Conference of the NAACP. She wants to use her interest in civil rights and accounting background to serve socioeconomically disadvantaged communities and small, minority-owned businesses, further bridging the gap of inequality.

Eric Petterson, a third-year law student at the University of Florida Levin College of Law, is serving as the Henry Geller fellow. Currently, Eric works as a legal fellow for the Florida State Conference of the NAACP. In 2022, he served as a certified legal intern for the Alachua County Public Defender's Office. He is passionate about the intersection of civil rights and technology. Prior to law school, he worked on political campaigns across the nation, including in Alaska, Arizona, Virginia, and Florida.

Brandon Smith, a second-year student at the University of Florida Levin College of Law, is serving as the MMTC Ragan Henry fellow. Brandon is an Ethos of Excellence Scholar (full tuition, merit-based scholarship) and a member of the Florida Entertainment and Sports Law Review. He is also President of the Black Law Students Association and symposium chair of the Entertainment and Sports Law Society.

Bianca Thervil, a third-year student at St. Thomas University Benjamin L. Crump College of Law, is serving as the MMTC Cathy Hughes fellow. Bianca is a member of the Intercultural Human Rights Law Review and Student Bar Association. In addition, she is a mentor for the Honorable Peter R. Palermo Mentorship Program and secretary of the Black Law Student Association.
MMTC and Charter Communications
Host Leveraging Supplier Diversity
Programs for Growth Webinar
On March 28, 2023, MMTC and Charter Communications hosted the Leveraging Supplier Diversity Programs for Growth webinar. During the webinar, leading experts discussed what it takes to become a corporate vendor, why it is important to obtain certain certifications, and laid out the steps diverse suppliers need to take to successfully compete in RFPs.

Leading experts included:

  • Robert Branson, President, MMTC
  • Pauline Gebon, VP, Corporate Relations, National Minority Supplier Development Council
  • Rhonda Crichlow, Chief Diversity Officer, Charter Communications
  • Marlan Hardie, AVP, Chief Digital Officer & Head of Diverse Services, World Wide Technology
  • Darretta Whitfield, Director, Supplier Diversity, Charter Communications
  • Moderator: Amrit Singh, Spectrum News 1 Anchor
  • Closing Remarks: Ramiro Cavazos, President & CEO, United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Learn about the speakers here.

Watch the webinar video below.
MMTC, ALLvanza & OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates Convene Understanding AI & Its Impact on Our Communities Discussion
On March 14, 2023, MMTC, ALLvanza, and OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates hosted a discussion about AI and its impact on vulnerable communities at the AT&T Forum in Washington, DC. The panelists and moderator included:

  • Shane Tews, President, Logan Circle Strategies and Nonresident Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute
  • Nicol Turner Lee, Ph.D. Director, The Center for Technology Innovation (CTI) and Senior Fellow, Governance Studies, The Brookings Institution
  • Caterina Luppi, Ph.D. Chief Information Officer, D.C. Bar
  • Seth Billiau, Machine Learning Engineer, Booz Allen Hamilton
  • Moderator: Jonathan V. Cohen, Finance Partner, Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP

Watch the webinar video below.
MMTC Law and Policy Initiatives
Learn About MMTC's Recent Law and Policy Efforts
  • MMTC and other organizations wrote a letter to the White House that supported and recommended the renomination of FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks. Read it here.

  • Go here to read the amicus brief MMTC and seven organizations filed to urge the U.S. Court not to gut Section 230 in Gonzalez v. Google.

  • Read MMTC's broadband expansion letter to U.S. Senator John Thune here.

  • MMTC sent a letter to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel about multilingual emergency communications. Read it here.

  • MMTC and the U.S. Black Chambers submitted comments to the FCC about the potential rules to address digital discrimination of access to broadband internet access service. Click here to read them.

  • MMTC submitted a letter to Maryland Delegate Vanessa Atterbeary in support of the Broadband Expansion Incentive Act of 2023 which expands Maryland Governor Wes Moore’s effort to improve broadband coverage and economic competitiveness. Read the letter here.

  • Click here to read the amicus curiae brief MMTC and other organizations filed with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California about the California Public Utilities Commission’s decision to change surcharges.

  • MMTC submitted comments to the FCC opposing the relaxation or elimination of the broadcast ownership rules, especially any changes in the caps or subcaps rules. Read the comments here.

  • MMTC and Digital Progress Institute wrote a letter to the Senate that requested the reauthorization of the Affordable Connectivity Program. Read the letter here.

  • Go here to read MMTC's comments on the development of NTIA's National Spectrum Strategy.

  • MMTC President and CEO Robert Branson discussed MMTC’s law and policy efforts on the radio program, “On the Mic with Mike Rva,” on January 10, 2023. “On the MIC with Mike Rva” is the only social enterprise business daily radio program in Central Virginia. It aired on ESPN Richmond 106.1. Watch the video here.

  • MMTC supported and attended the FCC’s Communications Equity and Diversity Council's (CEDC) Media Ownership Diversity Symposium that was held on February 7, 2023. Watch the video here.

  • On February 21, 2023, MMTC Vice President Dr. Fallon Wilson gave a talk on “Access, Equity, and the Influence of Tech” at the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference’s 2023 Clergy and Lay Leadership Conference.  

  • On February 23, 2023, MMTC President Robert Branson attended the FCC Communications Equity and Diversity Council Meeting. Watch the video here.

  • MMTC President Robert Branson participated in a panel on “Are Block Grants the Best Way to Distribute Government Funding to Minorities and Underserved People?” at the Southern Christian Leadership Global Policy Initiative Policy Strategy and Advocacy’s Minority Policy Summit on February 28, 2023.

  • On March 2, 2023, MMTC Vice President Dr. Fallon Wilson joined the Using a Racial Equity Lens to Advance Digital Equity session at the National Digital Inclusion Alliance's Net Inclusion 2023 Conference.

  • MMTC Vice President Dr. Fallon Wilson spoke about the Black Churches 4 Digital Equity Coalition's work during the FCC CEDC Digital Ecosystem Forum panel on "How Are Non-Traditional Anchor Institutions Accelerating Digital Adoption and Upskilling?" on March 6, 2023. Watch the video here.

  • On March 28, 2023, MMTC Vice President Dr. Fallon Wilson gave a presentation on scaling thriving Black tech ecosystems, through research, indexing, scoring, and centering community organizations in smart cities at the Connected America's 2023 Conference.
Upcoming Events
1) On April 29th, MMTC President Robert Branson will join Ascension – Digital Equity and Artificial Intelligence panel at the FCBA Annual Seminar. The panel will explore the intersection between digital equity and artificial intelligence. Panelists include: John Heflin, Associate, Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP; and Elizabeth Hyman, President and CEO, XR Associates. Anisa Green, Director, Federal Regulatory, AT&T Services, Inc., will moderate the panel. 

2) Join MMTC Vice President Dr. Fallon Wilson on May 16th at 9:25-9:40 a.m. for the “Making ‘Internet for All’ a Reality” fireside chat at the 2023 Code for America Summit in Washington, DC. Get more information here.
MMTC News
Black Churches 4 Digital Equity Coalition Awarded $600,000
in Federal ACP Funding and Silver Anthem Award
MMTC received $600,000 in funding from the FCC to support the Black Churches 4 Digital Equity Coalition's outreach efforts to raise awareness about the Affordable Connectivity Program. Read more here.

The Webby Awards honored the Black Churches 4 Digital Equity Coalition with a Silver Anthem Award for the National Day of Enrollment for the Affordable Connectivity Program in the category of Responsible Technology - National Awareness Campaign. Read more here.
Industry News
Learn About Recent Initiatives by AT&T, Charter, Comcast,
CTIA, NCTA - The Internet & Television Association,
T-Mobile, USTelecom & Verizon

Click here to read the AT&T Connects blog: Changemakers and Trailblazers: Celebrating the Past, Present and Future of Black History by Tanya Lombard, VP Global External Public Affairs – Head of Multicultural Engagement & Strategic Alliances, AT&T.

Charter Communications and Spectrum presented After-School All-Stars Ohio with a$28,000 digital education grant for coding courses to allow students to develop critical skills for digital education. The grant is part of a six-year, $8 million commitment to digital education that will help students learn problem solving, STEM skills and critical thinking through coding courses. Read more here.

Go here to learn how Comcast is closing the digital divide and advancing economic mobility in the communities it serves.

Read CTIA's Updated Study of 5G Spectrum Availability Underscores Need for U.S. Action to Expand Licensed Spectrum Pipeline here.

Read NCTA - The Internet & Television Association's blog post here that discusses internet trends, fueled by broadband.

T-Mobile is working with Prisms VR, a learning platform pioneering a new paradigm for math education, and Lenawee Intermediary School District to deploy Prisms VR's learning programs on Meta Quest 2 VR headsets connected to T-Mobile 5G across 11 school districts in rural Michigan. Read more here.

On April 13, 2023, USTelecom hosted the American Connectivity Forum, a virtual discussion on implementing the BEAD and other federal grant programs. Watch the video here.

Learn more about Verizon Small Business Digital Ready's new round of grant funding here.
MMTC Resources
  • Social Media Highlights: Read our January, February, and March Wakelet blogs here.
About MMTC

The Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC) is a non-partisan, national nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and preserving equal opportunity in the tech, media, and telecom (TMT) industries, and closing the digital divide on behalf of its members and constituents, including owners of radio and television broadcast stations, programmers, prospective station owners, and others involved in the TMT industries. 

MMTC is generally recognized as the nation's leading advocate for multicultural advancement in communications. We strongly believe that the breathtaking changes in communications technology and the new global forms of media partnerships must enhance diversity in the 21st century.

About MMTC Media & Telecom Brokers 

MMTC Media & Telecom Brokers was founded in 1997 by communications lawyer David Honig. He is also one of the co-founders of our parent organization, the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC).

MMTC Brokers is the nation's only minority owned brokerage firm. Our goal is to open up opportunity for media ownership for all minorities. We have been working in the media brokerage space for more than 23 years and are involved in all aspects of radio, television, towers & telecom. We are widely recognized for our work on behalf of minorities and women to gain ownership. Our commitment to this cause includes every aspect of a transaction, including:

  • Business planning
  • Coaching new entrants
  • Market research
  • Assisting with due diligence
  • Best practices for negotiation

We pride ourselves as being the conduit that connects the buyer and the seller. Our role is to bring two parties together, and assist each of them to view a potential transactions from a wider perspective. Our goal is to make is sure each party will come to terms to paper a deal and see it through to a successful closing.

For more information, contact Suzanne Gougherty at [email protected] or David Honig at [email protected]