WASHINGTON, D.C.—Fifty state broadcasters associations, including the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, have sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging the passage of legislation that would reestablish a diversity tax certificate program to incentivize capital investment in women and minority-owned broadcast stations, as well as investment in the sale of stations to women and minority purchasers.
“On behalf of the undersigned broadcasters associations representing local, over-the-air broadcast stations in all 50 states, including the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, we write today to ask that you support and consider swift passage of H.R. 8072 and S. 4158, the Broadcast VOICES Act introduced by Rep. Steven Horsford (D-NV-04) and Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI),” the letter said. “This piece of legislation reinstates the tax certificate program at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that would encourage investment in TV and radio broadcast station ownership for women and people of color.”
The letter was sent to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate Chuck Schumer, Minority Leader of the House Hakeem Jeffries and Minority Leader of the U.S. Senate Mitch McConnell.
The letter noted that “From 1978 to 1995, the Minority Tax Certificate program established at the FCC provided a tax incentive to individuals who sold their majority interest in a broadcast station to people of color. During that time, TV and radio broadcast station ownership by people of color increased by more 550 percent.”
Since the program was ended, however, “diverse ownership in our industry has drastically changed not due to lack of effort or interest, but due to lack of access to capital. Currently, women make up less than 6 percent of broadcast TV station owners and people of color make up less than 3 percent. When it comes to broadcast radio station owners, women make up around 7 percent of owners and people of color make up less than 3 percent.”
To improve those low levels, the letter argued that “the tax certificate program will help us build a local media landscape that reflects our communities on the air, both in the control booth and boardroom. Additionally, the Broadcast VOICES Act will help with building a pipeline for a new generation of broadcast station owners that is inclusive of women, people of color and other underrepresented individuals. We therefore urge Congress to act swiftly and pass H.R. 8072 and S. 4158 to make sure that all voices are accurately represented in the broadcasting industry.”
