Category: Advocacy

NAB’s Smith: ‘Time to Acknowledge the Election of Joe Biden’

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President Donald Trump still refuses to concede the election

WASHINGTON—After days of news coverage of mail-in votes across multiple states being tallied, broadcasters and media officially called the 2020 presidential election for former Vice President Joe Biden.

Biden is now the president-elect and set to take office as the 46th president on Jan. 20, 2021. However, President Donald Trump continues to baselessly claim that he won the election and is filing lawsuits in multiple states.

NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith released a statement over the weekend after Biden was declared the winner.

“It has been clear for days now that Joe Biden has been on track to win the popular vote in his run for the presidency,” Smith said. “It is decisive that today [Saturday, Nov. 7] he has surpassed the threshold of 270 electoral college votes. NAB congratulates Joe Biden on becoming president-elect of the United States of America.”

 

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NAB Ad Campaign Emphasizes Local Broadcasting

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Here’s the link to download the audio and video spots for your association

A new flight of audio and video spots is available to stations to highlight the role of local radio and TV stations in the United States.

The National Association of Broadcasters put out the spots focusing on broadcaster news and information.

This is part of its We Are Broadcasters initiative, launched in 2013 with the explicit goal of educating policymakers about their constituents’ reliance on local broadcasters. (One of its outreach efforts promotes use of the hashtag #BroadcastGood.)

“The new spots highlight the role local broadcasters have played in providing fact-based reporting and lifeline coverage of significant events nationwide over the past six months, including the COVID-19 pandemic, civil protests and unrest over racial equality, wildfires and hurricanes, and the 2020 political elections,” NAB stated.

Spots are available in English and Spanish. Find them here.

State-specific web ads available here

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NAB, Others Urge Hill to Fund Tower Crew Training

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Say it is key to 5G and ATSC 3.0 buildouts and closing digital divide

Facing 5G wireless buildouts, broadcast next gen (ATSC 3.0) buildouts and the C-band transition, communications associations are pushing Congress to pass legislation to help train the workforce that is needed for those infrastructure deployments.

That came in a letter to congressional leaders from associations including the National Association of Broadcasters; CTIA, the wireless association; and CCA, the competitive carriers association.

They said the shortage of properly trained workers jeopardizes those buildouts, which impedes the closure of the digital divide. “The ongoing pandemic illustrates so clearly how essential our industry and our workforce are, with so many Americans forced to work, study and play remotely. But we cannot do all that is necessary without an adequate supply of workers,” they said.

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Michelle Vetterkind Speaks with RBR+TVBR about how Broadcasters Have Stepped Up During COVID-19

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A small town AM started working with local farmers and creameries to donate unused milk normally served with school lunches. Local media is still hiring. These are some of the positive stories shared by Wisconsin Broadcasters Association’s President/CEO in this latest podcast, hosted by RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson.

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Pandemic Offers New Role For Local TV News

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New findings from international research and strategy firm SmithGeiger show a resurgence of linear TV over SVOD viewing during the pandemic with Americans flocking to local news.

It’s a significant bump that local TV stations can convert to a longer-term, multiplatform trend says Dr. Seth Geiger, the firm’s co-founder.

In the March 2020 survey of more than 1,300 U.S. news consumers aged 18-64, SmithGeiger found that 85% of Americans have seen their lives affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Bipartisan Effort Pushes for Local Media Support

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House members call on colleagues, President Trump, to support local media during pandemic

WASHINGTON—Supporting local media—including TV stations, radio stations and newspapers—has become a bipartisan effort in D.C., highlighted in part by a recently issued letter from four House Representatives to their colleagues and President Donald Trump calling for action.

Reps. Debbie Dingle (D-Mich.), Bill Flores (R-Texas), Marc Veasey (D-Texas) and Fred Upton (R-Mich.) have sent out a pair of letters to other members of Congress and to President Trump asking that federal advertising funds be redirected to local media outlets to support them during the current coronavirus pandemic.

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Study: Radio Listening Up Across All Dayparts During Pandemic.

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As tens of millions of Americans enter week two, or three, of working from home, radio continues as a companion even outside the traditional workplace setting.

Nearly 40% of those who took part in a recent study conducted by NuVoodoo Media Services say they are listening to radio more during the health crisis. Breaking it down by daypart, 37% say they are tuning to radio more on weekday mornings; 36% are spending more time dialed-in during middays; 38% say they listen more during weekday afternoons and 26% are listening more at night. Additionally, 39% are spending more time with radio on weekends.

While there are concerns about less listening due to fewer commuters on the road, only 19% of respondents say they are listening to radio less on weekday mornings and 16% less in afternoons.

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Maryland Passes Digital Ad Tax

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Wendy Davis, DigitalNewsDaily

Facebook, Google and other online companies could face new taxes in Maryland, if a bill passed this week is signed by the governor.

The measure, SB2, would impose new taxes on companies that glean than $100 million in digital ad revenue. Rates would vary from 2.5% to 10% of revenue attributable to Maryland, with the percentage tied to global revenue: Companies taking in between $100 million and $1 billion in digital ad revenue globally would be taxed at the 2.5% rate, while those taking in more than $15 billion would be assessed at the 10% rate.

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Why J.Lo And Shakira Aren’t Getting Paid For The Super Bowl Halftime Show

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Jennifer Lopez used to have a little, now she’s got a lot—thanks in part to her ability to clock seven-figure grosses at every tour stop. But don’t be fooled: Jenny from the Block won’t be adding any more cash to her coffers for her Super Bowl halftime gig, at least in terms of performance fees. Along with Sunday’s co-headliner Shakira, her only monetary reward will be union scale and coverage of production costs.

It’s the same setup that acts from Bruno Mars to Beyoncé have agreed to in recent years—and though each is capable of commanding seven-figure nightly grosses for their solo live shows, they forgo payment on Super Bowl Sunday in exchange for the publicity that comes with playing to a televised audience of some 100 million people. Representatives for the two singers and the NFL didn’t respond to requests for comment, but the halftime acts’ reasoning is clear.

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LeGeyt Succeeds Ornelas As NAB COO

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NAB President-CEO Gordon Smith announced today that NAB Chief Operating Officer Chris Ornelas will be leaving the organization Feb. 1 to become general counsel of Beasley Media Group, where he will oversee all legal matters for the multiplatform media company, including its 64 radio stations.

Ornelas will be replaced by Curtis LeGeyt, NAB’s current executive vice president, government relations.

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