300 Broadcasters Are Lobbying In Washington Today On Crucial Issues
300 Broadcasters Are Lobbying In Washington Today On Crucial Issues.
Hundreds of local radio and television broadcasters are fanning out today on Capitol Hill to lobby lawmakers and regulators about the key issues affecting their industry. The grassroots advocacy is part of the National Association of Broadcasters’ annual State Leadership Conference.
The event got underway Monday with speeches from several members of Congress about issues affecting the broadcasting industry. The day was also used for attendees to get their talking points in order for meetings with legislators and officials at the Federal Communications Commission.
In sit-downs today with lawmakers, regulators and their aides, broadcasters are expected to discuss the Local Radio Freedom Act, the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act, the Local Journalism Sustainability Act, and the Broadcast VOICES Act.
Popular Washington, DC morning host and WRC-TV contributor Tommy McFly – deemed “the local Ryan Seacrest” by The Washington Post and a regular emcee for NAB events – served as Master Of Ceremonies for Monday’s rallying of the troops. Salem Media Group CEO Dave Santrella delivered welcome remarks and Curtis LeGeyt delivered his first “State of the Broadcast Industry” speech since succeeding Gordon Smith as NAB President and CEO in January.
LeGeyt focused on the power of grassroots advocacy by local broadcasters to affect changes on legislative and regulatory issues, according to a NAB news release. “Our competitive advantage, and the reason that we continue to win issue after issue of importance to the broadcast industry, is all of you,” said LeGeyt. “When members of Congress are home, and now in Washington, D.C., you deliver the message that this is not just some abstract piece of legislation; it is one that impacts their constituents. You have a presence in every congressional district in the country and that is why we have won legislative issue after legislative issue, and it is why we are going to be successfully positioned going forward.”
LeGeyt also talked about the role broadcast radio and television play in providing fact-based journalism in an age of disinformation on social media and digital platforms. He took questions from attendees about NAB’s efforts on Next Gen TV, the FCC’s review of media ownership rules and the upcoming NAB Show in April.
There are more than three hundred broadcasters attending the State Leadership Conference this week, according to NAB.
Lawmakers Address Key Issues
At Monday’s event, Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, addressed broadcasters about the reliability, trustworthiness and inclusiveness of broadcast journalism and consumer benefits from the ongoing deployment of the Next Gen TV transmission standard. NAB says Matsui also spoke of the need for Congress to act on consolidation in the digital ad marketplace through the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act (H.R. 1735), which would give news media outlets, including TV and radio stations and newspapers, an antitrust exemption to collectively negotiate better financial terms with the big tech companies. While Matsui didn’t explicitly voice her opposition to a performance royalty mandate for local radio stations, she did say that any implementation of such a royalty would need to ensure broadcasters are not unduly burdened.
Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR), the ranking member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, spoke about his role as a lead co-sponsor of the Local Radio Freedom Act and what impact a performance royalty would have on broadcast radio stations.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, spoke about proposed antitrust legislation to address the competitive market power of large digital platforms. In testimony before the subcommittee in early February, Klobuchar said local news is in crisis mode. “These big tech companies are not friends to journalism, they are raking in ad dollars while taking news content, feeding it to their users and refusing to offer fair compensation,” Klobuchar said. “And at the same time, they are getting the revenue off the consumers that read the content that then don't go to the ones that are producing the content.”
Broadcast Champion Award
Also on Monday, NAB presented Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) with its Broadcast Champion Award in recognition of his support of local broadcasting during his time in Congress. Blunt thanked broadcasters for their work during times of emergency, NAB says, particularly during tornadoes in Missouri. He also discussed his work to ensure reasonable regulations on broadcasters that allow local stations to compete and continue serving their audiences.
Other State Leadership Conference highlights on Monday included a conversation with Major Garrett, chief Washington correspondent, CBS News, and Jordan Wertlieb, president, Hearst Television, and immediate past joint board chair of NAB; an update about new schedules, events, and themes at the 2022 NAB Show; and a tribute to Suzanne Goucher, longtime president, and CEO of the Maine Broadcasters Association, who passed away unexpectedly in January.
In addition to lobbying their home-state members of Congress and Senators to discuss issues affecting their industry, broadcasters will also meet with FCC staffers at NAB headquarters Tuesday to discuss regulatory fee reform, geobroadcasting and collection of EEO data.
posted by Kirk Tanter at
3/01/2022 11:55:00 am
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