WASHINGTON, D.C. – In response to passage by the House of Representatives of H.Res.549, a resolution reaffirming Congress's commitment to media diversity and pledging to work with the private sector on solutions eliminating barriers to media diversity, the following statement can be attributed to NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith:
“NAB applauds today’s passage of a resolution pledging lawmakers’ support for working with media organizations to increase diversity within the media industry. NAB strongly supports expanding the diversity of voices in the broadcasting industry, and we believe legislation sponsored by Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-NC) reinstating the tax certificate program would create more opportunities for diverse radio and TV station ownership. America’s broadcasters thank Rep. Val Demings (D-FL) and Jenniffer González-Colón (R-PR) and Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) for their leadership on this issue, and reaffirm our commitment to creating a more diverse media landscape.”
The tax certificate program would provide a tax incentive to those who sold their majority interest in a broadcast station to minorities. The program was previously implemented by the Federal Communications Commission in 1978 and increased minority ownership in broadcast stations by more than 550 percent before its repeal in 1995. The Expanding Broadcast Ownership Opportunities Act of 2019 would reinstate the program to encourage investment in broadcast station ownership for women and people of color and dramatically help underrepresented voices realize their dreams of radio and television station ownership.
Recently, NAB named NAB Leadership Foundation (NABLF) President Michelle Duke as Chief Diversity Officer, where she spearheads NAB's role as a resource to member companies in their efforts to increase and promote industry diversity. Earlier this year, NABLF launched the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Resource Center, a website dedicated to helping media companies and industry professionals create and sustain a diverse and inclusive workplace.
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