NAB

Broadcasters told a federal appeals court that the FCC’s decision to make broadcasters affirmatively investigate whether programming — including ads and infomercials — was being paid for by foreign entities was an arbitrary and capricious, unconstitutional response to a “phantom” problem.

They include preserving local journalism, opposing a performance tax on radio stations, increasing diversity and relaxing station ownership rules.

The association’s former leader will be honored at this year’s NAB Show in Las Vegas on April 25.

NAB members are briefed on legislative and regulatory issues facing the industry by the trade association’s new CEO and other execs.

He will be responsible for all aspects of the NAB member experience, including content, programming, networking, and other engagement strategies that provide value to members and their businesses.

In his first blog post as NAB President-CEO, Curtis LeGeyt pledges NAB’s continued advocacy for policies ensuring a level playing field that allows broadcasters to compete against Big Tech platforms and preserve local journalism.

He succeeds Gordon Smith. Michelle Lehman is named to the newly created chief of staff role.

Broadcasters have asked a federal court to stay the FCC’s implementation of the decision to boost disclosure requirements for foreign government-sponsored programming until that court can hear their appeal of the decision.

The National Association of Broadcasters is telling the FCC that it should not mandate participation in the Disaster Information Reporting System, a mandate that could pull staffers away from maintaining service in a natural disaster to “fill out a government form.”

NAB CEO Gordon Smith: “Although NAB does not currently oppose the nomination of Gigi Sohn, we have serious concerns about her involvement as one of three directors of the illegal streaming service Locast.”

In his final State of the Industry address before leaving the association, Gordon Smith, President-CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters, laid out nine lessons for the industry that started with the importance of negotiating and included the admonition that the “NAB should never register Republican or Democrat, but as human, local and American. We uphold and defend American values, such as factual journalism and the First Amendment. Neither party satisfies 100% of our issues. We need friends on both sides of the aisle.”

David Griffin, president and CEO of Griffin Communications, has been named to the National Association of Broadcasters Television Board of Directors by Television Board Chair Perry Sook.

Last week’s late cancellation of the NAB Show in October has dealt another major blow to the media technology industry. The ripple effects, vendors say, will be far ranging.

TVNewsCheck’s 11^th annual Women in Technology Awards will be presented, live on Zoom, at 1 p.m. ET on October 12. The same event will feature the 2021 honorees in a moderated conversation, “Technology in a Changing Media Ecosystem: Predictions for 2022.” To attend, please register here.

Industry group cites ‘outdated’ ownership rules’ impact on competitiveness against Big Tech.

The series of spots highlight the role of broadcasters in combatting misinformation.

The National Association of Broadcasters, the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council and the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters have asked the FCC to delay implementation until the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit rules on the issue.

Anna Chauvet has joined the National Association of Broadcasters in the newly created post of vice president of public policy. She reports to Shawn Donilon, executive vice president of government relations.

Broadcasters this month pressed the FCC to change course and not force TV and radio stations to pay for a portion of the FCC broadband data collection, from which they said they derive no benefit. The National Association of Broadcasters, in meetings with the FCC’s Office of Managing Director, said that should only make regulated industries pay user fees on activities that have at least minimal relevance to that industry.

With vaccination levels approaching 70% of the adult population, several cable and broadcast conventions, including NAB, CES and SCTE, are planning on making the 2021 slate at least partly an in-person experience for the first time since 2019.

Nexstar’s Perry Sook elected TV chair while Townsquare Media’s Bill Wilson becomes radio chair.

The National Association of Broadcasters said a recent appeals court decision has established the precedent for commission authority to levy regulatory fees on Big Tech. NAB has been pushing the FCC to start charging Big Tech and other unlicensed spectrum users such a fee, as it does broadcasters and other FCC licensees and said it is now clear the FCC has the authority to make it happen.

There is a major difference of opinion between the National Association of Broadcasters and the network affiliate broadcaster associations over whether the FCC should require streaming services to deliver emergency alerts. NAB says no, while network affiliates say yes, definitely. All they need to do is carry local TV station signals on their streaming services, which they are pushing the FCC to mandate.

The National Association of Broadcasters has signed the Diversity in Government Relations Coalition Pledge to make sure that diversity is reflected not only in the industry, but in those advocating for industry policy positions.

The National Association of Broadcasters is expressing concern about the changes the FCC is proposing to make in calculating FY 2021 regulatory fees — objecting to both the increased amounts and proposed calculation methods. For the third consecutive year, the commission plans to increase fees to “unfair, unsustainable levels,” the NAB said in a filing with the commission.

Broadcasters are telling the FCC that over-the-top video providers can’t be relied on to relay emergency alerts, saying that, at least currently, the technological challenges make it “extremely burdensome, and likely infeasible, to update the EAS system to enable alerts to consumers provided through the internet, including through streaming devices.”

The National Association of Broadcasters took the gloves off in a recent meeting with FCC engineering staffers over TV white spaces — the use of broadcast spectrum for unlicensed uses like wireless broadband — calling it a failing experiment.

He will move to an advisory and advocacy role beginning next year. The former senator has led the broadcasters’ group for more than a decade. He’s being succeeded by NAB’s COO Curtis LeGeyt.

Broadcasters are telling the FCC that using a popular method of determining signal reach could undo the good work the commission has done to help them better serve the public. It is the latest volley in the battle between broadcasters and computer companies — specifically Microsoft — over opening up the TV band for more unlicensed (so-called TV white spaces, or TVWS) broadband use.

It may be a new, Democratic-led FCC, but broadcasters and cable operators are fighting the same retrans and media ownership battles. On March 16, representatives of the American Television Alliance met with a top FCC staffer to argue that the current media ownership rules allow broadcasters to skirt limits and create triopolies and even quadropolies, loopholes they argued should be eliminated. Only a few days later, representatives of the NAB met with a different FCC staffer to talk about the same issues, but from quite a different perspective.

NAB President Gordon Smith says the organization is shifting into offense with the new Democrat-led FCC, pairing with newspaper publishers for an antitrust exemption in dealing with Big Tech along with pressing for a relaxation of antiquated TV ownership rules. Note: This story is available to TVNewsCheck Premium members only. If you would like to upgrade your free TVNewsCheck membership to Premium now, you can visit your Member Home Page, available when you log in at the very top right corner of the site or in the Stay Connected Box that appears in the right column of virtually every page on the site. If you don’t see Member Home, you will need to click Log In or Subscribe.

Broadcasters want to get a cut of those billions of dollars in the Emergency Broadband Benefit established by legislation passed last December. The bill provides for $3.2 billion in subsidies to be handed out by the FCC over a six-month period. The FCC has been seeking comment on how to set up that program, including how best to promote awareness of the program in the community. NAB is telling the FCC that TV and radio advertising is particularly effective both because they are ubiquitous and because over-the-air broadcasting over-indexes for the eligible population — households with incomes below $50,000.