NAB President Curtis LeGeyt thinks FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel should prioritize paving the way for ATSC 3.0, and is “100% confident” the 2022 NAB Show in late April will be in person as planned, he said at the Media Institute’s virtual Communications Forum luncheon Tuesday. He also targeted tech companies and performance royalties for radio stations, and said the most difficult part of his new job heading NAB is the lack of in-person contact with members due to COVID-19 restrictions. “We don’t have that intimate relationship with our membership,” LeGeyt said. “The way we really succeed is when we can get back to in-person.”
MVPD groups and broadcasters disagree whether proposed rule changes designed to ease the ATSC 3.0 transition should come with additional restrictions on the standard, said comments filed by Friday’s deadline on a November further NPRM in docket 16-142 (see 2111050049).
MVPD groups and broadcasters disagree whether proposed rule changes designed to ease the ATSC 3.0 transition should come with additional restrictions on the standard, said comments filed by Friday’s deadline on a November further NPRM in docket 16-142 (see 2111050049).
Physical attacks on journalists aren’t now as common or in the news as they were in 2020, but there’s still more concern about journalist safety than just a few years ago, said broadcasters and journalism advocacy groups in interviews. Legislation from July intended to protect reporters from physical attacks -- the Journalist Protection Act (HR-4857) -- hasn’t had recent movement, according to trade group News Media Alliance. “I will be pushing the House Judiciary Committee, on which I sit, to consider and advance this bill,” said Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., Thursday of the bill, of which he’s a sponsor. There's “a heightened sense of awareness” in newsrooms about reporter safety, said Kathy Reynolds, content director at Tegna’s WUSA Washington, D.C.
Some broadcasters could be open to expected FCC proposals to require that political advertising data in online public files be machine-readable if it leads to more clarity on the rules for political ad filings, industry lawyers and officials told us. Others expect NAB and others to unequivocally oppose such a move.
Nearly every legislator who spoke at Wednesday’s House Judiciary Committee hearing on the American Music Fairness Act (HR-4130) appeared sympathetic to compensating performers for radio play of their songs, though many also emphasized protections for broadcasters. Many gave credence to both sides. The most aggressive questions went to NAB CEO Curtis LeGeyt. “The government has the responsibility to protect the property rights of its citizens,” Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., told LeGeyt, noting broadcasters require compensation when their own content is used by others.
A House Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday on the American Music Fairness Act (see 2109200050) will include testimony that broadcasters are falsely “crying poor” on compensating performers for radio play, and that musician groups failed to come to the negotiating table with radio stations, said the two sides in dueling previews of the testimony on AMFA. HR-4130 would charge radio stations a performance royalty fee for the artists, in the form of yearly payments based on station size and profitability. “NAB put forward serious proposal after serious proposal” on compensating artists but “received no serious counteroffer,” said President Curtis LeGeyt in an interview Tuesday. LeGeyt will testify, along with singer Gloria Estefan, American Federation of Musicians (AFM) International Executive Officer Dave Pomeroy and others. LeGeyt said it's “disappointing” to broadcasters to be relitigating the issue before legislators. In a virtual news briefing Tuesday, musicFIRST Coalition Chairman Joe Crowley slammed NAB for not producing a broadcaster to address legislators, and condemned iHeart Media CEO Bob Pittman for not testifying. MusicFIRST is made up of several music industry entities, including AFM, SoundExchange and RIAA. Pittman is “unwilling to flip open his laptop” and “defend the indefensible,” Crowley said. IHeart declined to comment. Large radio groups make billions of dollars from the “unpaid labor” of artists, and the AMFA would charge lower rates to 63% of radio stations -- only the largest radio groups would face significant fees, Crowley said. “We are not an industry rolling in revenue,” LeGeyt said. Even the largest groups maintain community stations that require resources, he said. In addition to iHeart, he said the bill would affect middle-size radio groups such as Beasley and Hubbard. The AMFA would draw a bright line for stations with revenue of over $1.5 million that would cause fees to shoot up. A “performance tax” is “not a workable business model,” LeGeyt said. “NAB loves to call any attempt to ensure fair pay for artists a performance tax,” Crowley said. “This legislation doesn’t direct money to the government, it directs money to performers.” Former Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Craig Fugate and the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters wrote the committee this week in support of NAB.
A House Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday on the American Music Fairness Act (see 2109200050) will include testimony that broadcasters are falsely “crying poor” on compensating performers for radio play, and that musician groups failed to come to the negotiating table with radio stations, said the two sides in dueling previews of the testimony on AMFA. HR-4130 would charge radio stations a performance royalty fee for the artists, in the form of yearly payments based on station size and profitability. “NAB put forward serious proposal after serious proposal” on compensating artists but “received no serious counteroffer,” said President Curtis LeGeyt in an interview Tuesday. LeGeyt will testify, along with singer Gloria Estefan, American Federation of Musicians (AFM) International Executive Officer Dave Pomeroy and others. LeGeyt said it's “disappointing” to broadcasters to be relitigating the issue before legislators. In a virtual news briefing Tuesday, musicFIRST Coalition Chairman Joe Crowley slammed NAB for not producing a broadcaster to address legislators, and condemned iHeart Media CEO Bob Pittman for not testifying. MusicFIRST is made up of several music industry entities, including AFM, SoundExchange and RIAA. Pittman is “unwilling to flip open his laptop” and “defend the indefensible,” Crowley said. IHeart declined to comment. Large radio groups make billions of dollars from the “unpaid labor” of artists, and the AMFA would charge lower rates to 63% of radio stations -- only the largest radio groups would face significant fees, Crowley said. “We are not an industry rolling in revenue,” LeGeyt said. Even the largest groups maintain community stations that require resources, he said. In addition to iHeart, he said the bill would affect middle-size radio groups such as Beasley and Hubbard. The AMFA would draw a bright line for stations with revenue of over $1.5 million that would cause fees to shoot up. A “performance tax” is “not a workable business model,” LeGeyt said. “NAB loves to call any attempt to ensure fair pay for artists a performance tax,” Crowley said. “This legislation doesn’t direct money to the government, it directs money to performers.” Former Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Craig Fugate and the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters wrote the committee this week in support of NAB.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel changed the leadership of several FCC bureaus, said a release Monday. Industry officials said the change doesn’t appear to be an omen of big shifts at the agency -- most of the new heads are longtime bureau staff who were already in the leadership of their departments. They said the staff changes are an expected outgrowth of Rosenworcel’s becoming permanent chair late last year. "The timing is based on the Chairwoman’s new term and appointment as permanent Chair," said an FCC spokesperson. The spokesperson confirmed that the former chiefs remain employed by the agency. Until Monday's announcement, Rosenworcel had retained several bureau heads from the administration of former Chairman Ajit Pai. Holly Saurer, a longtime Media Bureau staffer who had been Rosenworcel’s acting media adviser, will become MB chief, replacing Michelle Carey. Michele Ellison, a longtime FCC Deputy General Counsel, who was general counsel in an acting capacity under Rosenworcel, will take the job on a permanent basis. Former Public Safety Bureau Deputy Chief Debra Jordan will replace Lisa Fowlkes in that bureau’s top post. Alejandro Roark, former executive director for Latino civil rights group HTTP, is the new chief of the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, replacing Patrick Webre. Prior to HTTP, Roark worked on tech policy for the League of United Latin American Citizens. Loyaan Egal, a former deputy chief in DOJ's National Security Division Foreign Investment Review Section who worked on Team Telecom matters, will become Enforcement Bureau acting chief, replacing Chief Rosemary Harold. Before DOJ, Egal was in the Enforcement Bureau, where he established and led the then-USF Strike Force. “I’d also like to thank Michelle Carey, Lisa Fowlkes, Rosemary Harold, and Patrick Webre, for their public service as they transition to new roles across the agency,” Rosenworcel said. See our news bulletin also.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel changed the leadership of several FCC bureaus Monday. She had until Monday retained numerous department heads from the administration of previous FCC Chair Ajit Pai.