Sharpton's Group Seeks Ad Contract Split

The Rev. Al Sharp ton’s Madison Avenue Initiative wants the federal government to issue separate advertising contracts to minority-owned firms instead of awarding business directly to one large agency, group officials said at a meeting here on Tuesday.

The group, fearful that the momentum started with former President Bill Clinton’s executive order demanding that federal ad contracts fairly represent minority agencies will die in a Bush administration, plans to make large government contracts a priority this year.

The issue has been a growing concern since the Federal Communications Commission released a report two years ago saying discriminatory adver tising practices reduce revenues of minor ity-owned stations.