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NY Bill Passes to Allocate $5M Tax Credit to Diversify TV Writers & Directors

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This new TV Bill was sponsored by NYS Senator Marisol Alcantara (left) and Bronx Assemblyman Marcos Crespo (right).

On Wednesday, June 21, a bill passed in both the New York state Senate and Assembly that will promote diversity among writers and directors for television. 

A $5 million incentive program will be created by the legislation, that will allocate additional funds to the salaries of women and minorities employed as TV writers and directors. This program’s money will be separate from the $420 million state tax credit for film and TV production. An earlier version of the bill, which film industry executives opposed, wanted to take the $5 million from the allocation of $420 million. 

Two Hispanic legislators sponsored the bill, New York State Senator Marisol Alcantara and Bronx Assemblyman Marcos Crespo. Before the bill can become a law, it must still be approved by Governor Andrew Cuomo and funds must be appropriated for it from the state budget. 

The Directors Guild of America, the Writers Guild of America, East and the unions for the entertainment industry were among the supporters of the bill. Supporters pointed out that so many talented writers and directors aren’t hired by television companies, because the industry tends to hire people based on who they know.  

The Eastern executive directors of the Directors Guild of America, Neil Dudich, said, “For years the DGA has pushed the industry to change their imbalanced hiring practices so that talent, and talent alone, is the defining factor. By encouraging studios, networks and producers to discover the talented New York TV directors and writers that are out there in abundance, this bill can be a meaningful step forward in establishing a level playing field for all.”

Roughly 13% of the TV writers are people of color, and 28% are women, according to the WGA. If the bill becomes law, 30% of the salaries of female and minority writers and directors could earn a tax credit, with caps of $50,000 per episode and $150,000 for a show’s entire season.

By Rachel Shapiro

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