The National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB) has joined an industry coalition seeking federal advertising dollars to help local radio and television stations avoid severe economic difficulties as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the U.S. economy.
In a letter to the senior leadership of Congress, NABOB touted the role local radio and television stations have assumed in the dissemination of important news and information about the COVID-19 pandemic.
For radio stations superserving African Americans — a group that appears to be impacted by the novel coronavirus more than the overall population — delivering news and information of specific need to this community is paramount, NABOB adds.
“In some urban areas, the African American death rate is twice that of other racial groups,” NABOB says. “Therefore, it is critical that, in the next round of pandemic response legislation, Congress provide financial assistance to our member stations so that we can continue to provide much-needed news and information to help our most vulnerable citizens survive the pandemic.
NABOB President Jim Winston, who also serves as a communications attorney at Rubin, Winston, Diercks, Harris & Cooke, said, “Without federal advertising dollars, many of our stations will be forced to lay off staff, reduce news and information broadcasting, and possibly cease operating all together. This would be a devastating loss for the communities that rely upon our stations as their most trusted sources of news and information about the pandemic.”
The comments come one week after the NAB, News Media Alliance, the National Newspaper Association and America’s Newspapers wrote to Congressional leaders seeking critical support to local news media in its next coronavirus relief stimulus bill.
