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Systemic Racism in Media Ownership
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Systemic Structural Racism: Historical corporate and regulatory pathways systematically excluded Black, Indigenous, and other racialized individuals from acquiring licenses, capital, and positions of influence within media enterprises. These legacies persist subtly through concentrated ownership in predominantly white hands, which affects institutional priorities, hiring, and editorial decisions. source
Black ownership of U.S. broadcast media remains very low, with recent FCC reports (2023/2024 data) showing African Americans holding majority control in about 3-4% of commercial TV/radio stations, far below their population share, while major cable/newspapers have even less specific Black ownership data but reflect general industry consolidation favoring larger (often white-owned) entities, highlighting systemic underrepresentation. source
Historically, Black-owned media outlets have faced significant challenges regarding ownership disparities. Many media companies, including newspapers, television stations, and digital platforms, are not Black owned. Black-owned media companies experience racism from customers, with one report finding that Black-owned businesses have had an instance of racism every year. source
Broadcast TV & Radio (FCC Data) source
Overall Broadcast: Minorities own a very small fraction, with Black owners controlling roughly 3-4% of commercial stations, while white ownership sits around 73%.
TV Stations: Black majority ownership of full-power commercial TV stations was around 1.3% (2019 data).
Radio Stations: Black ownership of commercial FM/AM stations hovers around 2-3%. source
Cable & Newspapers source
Cable: While specific Black ownership percentages are harder to pinpoint for large cable networks, major networks like BET are no longer Black-owned, indicating consolidation and ownership shifts away from Black control.
Newspapers: Data on Black ownership of major newspapers is limited, but industry trends show concentration in large corporations, with very few Black-owned daily papers surviving. source
