🔴 LIVE: Mayor's Office of Ethnic & Community Media and Government Spending on Ads

New York City Council Committee on Governmental Operations, State and Federal Legislation hearing on the Mayor’s Office of Ethnic and Community Media and government advertising spending, October 29, 2026. Council members examined the implementation of Local Law 83, which requires eligible agency advertising spending to allocate at least 50% to ethnic and community media. The hearing cited reported shares of 40% in FY2023, 51% in FY2024, and 57% in FY2025, while total city advertising spending fell from $260 million in FY2022 to $70.4 million in FY2023 and $28.8 million in FY2024. The newly appointed executive director said he is collecting agency and media-buyer data for an FY2026 report expected by year-end; he could not yet provide the office’s budget or staffing level, explain the prior office transitions, or detail the six media-placement vendors’ contracts. No advertising contract awards, spending motions, or votes were reported.

Council members and witnesses raised concerns about reduced advertising investment, gaps in agency compliance, the directory’s eligibility and appeal criteria, delayed payments, and whether social-media and influencer spending falls outside the law’s 50% calculation. The executive director committed to meeting with publishers and agencies, improving transparency, and developing training and a clearer directory process; members urged prompt updates to the office website and contact information. Public witnesses proposed measures including outlet-level and quarterly spending disclosures, clearer placement standards, stronger enforcement and waiver oversight, and safeguards against political favoritism. The committee also heard testimony on proposed good-government bills concerning agency reporting and records retention, but no vote or final action on those proposals is identified in the transcript.