Minority Groups in Letter to Chairman Leahy "Legislation would be detrimental to minority-owned stations"

 Late yesterday, a letter was sent to Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, by 11 minority groups and civil rights organizations opposing the performance fee bill S.379. The letter states that, if enacted, the proposed performance tax legislation would be detrimental to minority-owned stations and the communities they serve. 

"The Minority Media and Telecommunications Council and the National Association of Media Brokers estimate that this legislation would throw at least a third of minority broadcasters into bankruptcy. The surviving stations would find it virtually impossible to raise the capital they need to grow. Growth capital--the only kind available--would only enable small broadcasters to become large enough to trigger the huge royalty fees that preclude any hope of eventual profitability," reads the letter. 

The organizations represented in the letter include the Black College Communication Association, The Hispanic Institute, International Black Broadcasters Association, Telecommunications Professionals, Latinos in Information Sciences and Technology, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Minority Media and Telecommunications Council, National Black Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Hispanic Journalists, Spanish Broadcasters Association and UNITY: Journalists of Color, Inc. A copy of the entire letter is available here.

Dennis Wharton
Executive Vice President, Media Relations
National Association of Broadcasters
1771 N Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20036
Phone 202.429.5350 and Fax 202.429.5406