ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, September 7, 1996 TAG: 9609090038
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CODY LOWE STAFF WRITER
The National Rainbow Coalition this week challenged the minority employment practices of two Roanoke television stations and asked the Federal Communications Commission to deny the stations' license renewals.
The coalition filed challenges to the license renewals of WDBJ (Channel 7) and public television station WBRA (Channel 15).
The coalition has asked the FCC to investigate the stations' compliance with Equal Employment Opportunity rules.
An FCC spokeswoman said Friday that petitions challenging stations' hiring practices are common at license-renewal time. Historically, FCC denial of a renewal application is rare on any grounds.
Managers of both stations denied any violation of FCC hiring standards.
Bob Lee, WDBJ president and general manager, said in a prepared statement that his station "is proud of its record of recruiting, hiring, promoting and retaining minorities. It is unwarranted for the Rainbow Coalition to be troubled by the station's [Equal Employment Opportunity] profile."
Larry Dyer, president and general manager of WBRA, said Friday that although he had not seen a copy of the petition, he was confident "we are not in violation of any" employment guidelines.
"My understanding is that it is a generic statement with no specific charges," Dyer said.
Lee said the petition to deny the license renewal came from Eddie Wong, director of the Oakland, Calif.-based Rainbow Commission on Fairness in Media. Also listed as a "declarer" of the petition is Roanoke resident Evangeline Jeffrey.
Attempts to reach Jeffrey and Wong were unsuccessful Friday.
Lee said Jeffrey, known locally as a spokeswoman for the NAACP and a periodic guest on WDBJ public affairs programs, had not previously raised concerns to him about the station's hiring practices.
Dyer likewise said the petition was "a complete shock. We knew nothing in advance."
Under FCC procedures, the stations will file responses providing the statistical data "on where we went looking for minorities," how many were interviewed, how many were hired, how many declined job offers, and similar information, Lee said Friday.
The FCC staff then will decide whether the complaint is warranted, whether the facts justify a hearing, and what consequences, if any, should result. The procedure routinely takes six months or longer.
The Rainbow Coalition, whose chief spokesman is the Rev. Jesse Jackson, last year challenged the renewal applications of a group of Tidewater radio stations on similar grounds. In that case, the FCC ruled that the stations had not engaged in any discriminatory hiring behavior, but that they had violated the rules regarding recordkeeping in association with recruitment and hiring. The stations received their license renewals, but were fined $15,000.
Lee is confident that his station has followed all the rules.
"We are, in fact, in compliance with FCC rules regarding hiring of minorities and women. We do, in fact, have a working [Equal Employment Opportunity] program and affirmative-action program. We will refute the Rainbow Coalition's complaint with the facts."
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