Florida Congressman Greg Steube (R) unveiled a bill that will give tax incentives to independent media platforms not owned by “the big four” to boost their market share.
Rep. Steube’s Independent Programmers Tax Incentive Act will “give [independent programmers] a tax incentive to give them the ability financially to do the things they need to do to get their message out to the American people.”
Steube made a statement saying that because NBC, CBS, ABC, and Fox own 85% of television channels, smaller channels and media platforms cannot thrive.
“85% of cable channels are controlled by the four major networks. New and independent media are at a significant disadvantage when trying to get their shows on cable television,” he said. “My Independent Programmers Tax Incentive Act levels the playing field, ensuring conservative voices finally have the opportunity to grow and reach new audiences.”
Steube also appeared in an interview with Charlie Kirk, where he explained how independent and conservative voices cannot “get out on these different cable networks.”
“These different conservative networks like yours can't get out on these different cable networks because they're only owned by four media markets, NBC, ABC, CBS, all the fake news. So, different independent programmers are at a significant disadvantage to be able to get their shows on cable network TV, because those four major cable network TVs shut them down,” he stated.
He also touched on how the bill has received growing bipartisan support.
“What's fascinating is this has bipartisan support. I'm on the Ways and Means Committee, which is in charge of taxes. There are members on that committee who have co-sponsored this. And so that is a real good impetus to try to get some type of bipartisan bill done through Congress. It should get 60 votes in the Senate if we have a bipartisan bill that comes out of the House,” he added.
