The American Association of Advertising Agencies has adopted a non-discrimination media vendor policy and complaint review process for advertising on all media, the Minority Media & Telecommunications Council said Tuesday.
A spokesperson for the ad agency association confirmed that it was indeed adopting a nondiscrimination policy.
"This historic achievement will directly combat the invidious ‘No Urban' and ‘No Spanish Dictates' that cost minority broadcasters millions of dollars annually," said MMTC in a statement.
MMTC praised the move and said it hoped one day the policy could be expanded to include rate and contract term inequities.
That advertiser dovetails with the FCC's advertising nondiscrimination policy. The commissioner advised TV stations earlier this year that they had to certify that their ad contracts were nondiscriminatory or face losing their licenses.
The FCC had taken some heat from MMTC for what it said was inaction on enforcing advertising nondiscrimination rules passed in 2007.
