FCC launches effort to ‘root out’ DEI programs, beginning with Comcast

The Comcast/NBC Universal building also known as the UCP10 is seen in Universal City on June 2, 2021. The Federal Communications Commission has opened an inquiry into Comcast Corp.’s employee programs, stepping up efforts to “root out” diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that it said may violate equal employment laws. In a letter to Comcast Chairman Brian Roberts on Tuesday, Carr wrote that his goal was to “ensure that your companies are not promoting invidious forms of discrimination in violation of FCC regulations and civil rights laws.” The landmark Communications Act and FCC rules forbid companies from “discriminating on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, or gender,” Carr reminded Roberts in the letter. “I expect that this investigation into Comcast and its NBCUniversal operations will aid the commission’s broader efforts to root out invidious forms of DEI discrimination across all of the sectors the FCC regulates,” Carr wrote. “For instance, Comcast states on its website that promoting DEI is ‘a core value of our business’ and public reports state that Comcast has an entire ‘DEI infrastructure’ that includes annual ‘DEI day,’ ‘DEI training for company leaders,’ and similar initiatives,” Carr wrote.