Lawmakers in both the Senate and House have reintroduced legislation aimed at expanding broadcast ownership opportunities for women and minority-led groups by reinstating long-lapsed tax incentives. The Broadcast VOICES Act — short for Broadcast Varied Ownership Incentives for Community Expanded Service — seeks to bring back the Minority Tax Certificate Program, which drove a major increase in diverse ownership before it was repealed in 1995.
Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) and Representative Steven Horsford (D-NV) are leading the renewed effort. The Senate version is co-sponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM). The House bill is filed as H.R. 3879.
The proposal would provide capital gains tax breaks to those who sell broadcast stations to women or minority-controlled buyers. A second provision would offer tax credits to broadcasters who donate stations to nonprofit organizations that train underrepresented individuals for ownership or management roles.
In addition, the bill directs the FCC to submit annual reports tracking diversity in station ownership across radio and TV.
The revival comes as data continues to show stark underrepresentation. The FCC’s most recent biennial report found that while there have been small increases in Black and Hispanic ownership of FM radio stations, women and people of color remain a small fraction of the nation’s broadcast license holders. White-majority ownership still dominates over 70% of all AM and FM stations, commercial and noncommercial alike.
The VOICES Act is supported by a wide coalition of industry and advocacy groups including the National Association of Broadcasters, National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters, National Urban League, Multicultural Media, Telecom & Internet Council, League of United Latin American Citizens, and the Hispanic Federation.
Senator Peters said the goal is to ensure local media represents the full range of communities it serves. “When broadcasters reflect the people they serve,” he said, “it helps elevate different perspectives and stories that may not yet have been told.”