Lawmaker LeGeyt Remains Positive About Pending AM Legislation, Emphasizes Importance of Regulatory Change
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has intensified its call for modernization of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations, following the FCC's "Delete, Delete, Delete" proceeding that aims to eliminate outdated rules.
Certain media operations are under scrutiny, with the Trump administration pushing for streamlining operations and cutting perceived government spending. The NAB supports the FCC’s effort to repeal obsolete rules, but emphasizes that this process highlights the critical need to update ownership restrictions and other legacy regulations that limit broadcasters' ability to compete fairly with digital platforms like Spotify, Pandora, and Apple Music.
The "Delete, Delete" proceeding, which uses a streamlined process to remove obsolete regulations, illustrates how outdated many regulations have become. NAB sees this as an urgent matter, calling for repeal of national TV ownership restrictions and other legacy rules that it considers anticompetitive and harmful.
While the FCC has removed numerous outdated rules, NAB advocates not merely for deletion of old rules but for a comprehensive update that levels the competitive playing field in the face of evolving technology and market conditions.
In another development, the NAB has been vocal on the necessity of local broadcast newsrooms' independence from government oversight. The association has filed a filing in the FCC's "60 Minutes" news distortion proceeding, emphasizing the First Amendment's role in ensuring the editorial independence of local broadcast newsrooms.
The NAB also advocates for the elimination of outdated rules in the 2022 quadrennial review, including burdensome Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) audits, public file upload requirements, AM technical mandates, and efficiency standards.
Meanwhile, the fate of the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act is uncertain, but a broad bipartisan consensus exists for the bill. Over a million AM radio listeners have contacted their members of Congress to support the act. The House Energy and Commerce is expected to consider the act when Congress returns to D.C. in the fall.
However, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting has been defunded and is pending closure, raising concerns about the future of public broadcasting. The dismantling of Voice of America is ongoing, further emphasizing the need for modernization and reform in the broadcasting sector.
Despite these developments, the NAB has not expressed a view on Commissioner Gomez's belief that this administration is running "a campaign to censor and control." The NAB continues to focus on its advocacy for regulatory modernization and fair competition in the broadcasting industry.
- The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has emphasized the need for updating ownership restrictions, a critical issue that limits broadcasters' ability to compete fairly with digital platforms like Spotify, Pandora, and Apple Music.
- In the 2022 quadrennial review, the NAB advocates for the elimination of outdated rules such as burdensome Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) audits, public file upload requirements, AM technical mandates, and efficiency standards.
- The NAB has been vocal on the necessity of local broadcast newsrooms' independence from government oversight, especially in the face of the ongoing dismantling of Voice of America.
