NAB and the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI) launched an online toolkit to help stations craft COVID-19 vaccine education messages to help our communities emerge from the pandemic. The toolkit provides information and resources to create news reports, public service announcements and other messages to educate Americans about vaccination.
NAB joined the COVID Collaborative, a national assembly of experts and organizations working on unified action against the COVID-19 pandemic.
In response to the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, NAB and a coalition of news organizations called on federal law enforcement agencies for greater transparency and timely, vital information about the attack and the possibility of further violence. Then-NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith wrote an op-ed highlighting the need to allow journalists to continue to inform the public, report the facts and uphold the First Amendment's enduring principle guaranteeing the freedom of the press.
Following NAB's strong opposition to terminating antitrust consent decrees, the Department of Justice (DOJ) decided to leave decrees intact without modifications or sunsetting them. NAB applauded this action as it had fought the termination of these decrees, which would upset the balance Congress strived to achieve in the 2018 Music Modernization Act (MMA).
NAB announced the creation of an advisory committee to the NAB Board of Directors to provide insights and suggestions on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) issues. The committee consists of senior-level broadcasters who are women and people of color and includes current NAB and NAB Leadership Foundation board members who are committed to advancing DEI issues in broadcasting.
In response to a 2019 Petition for Rulemaking from NAB and APTS, the FCC released a Report and Order updating its distributed transmission system (DTS) rules to give more flexibility for broadcasters in placing DTS transmitters as part of a Single Frequency Network. The new rules went into effect in May.
NAB launched "Voices from the Field," a multimedia campaign aimed at policymakers highlighting the stories of local broadcasters through first-person accounts as part of NAB's "We Are Broadcasters" initiative. From podcasts to video interviews and Q-and-A dialogue, "Voices from the Field" provides a platform for broadcasters both on-air and off to describe what makes them passionate about their career and what they love most about serving their local community.
The FCC sought comment on a proposal by GeoBroadcast Solutions (GBS) to allow FM broadcasters to use GBS’ FM booster system design to simultaneously location target different programming to different parts of their service areas (i.e., “geotargeting”). NAB filed comments strongly opposing the proposal, explaining that permitting the geotargeting of ads would depress ad rates and revenues and that using GBS’ system would advantage larger radio station groups, given the substantial investment needed to capture any additional ad business enabled by geotargeting. If the FCC nonetheless found some merit in GBS’ proposal, NAB stated that more testing would be needed to discern the interference impact of using boosters to target programming. The proceeding remains pending.
Dallas Mavericks owner and “Shark Investor” on ABC’s “Shark Tank” Mark Cuban sat down for a wide-ranging discussion including his take on broadcast viewership, streaming, the current media ecosystem, small market radio, the stock market and more to kick off the sixth season of The NAB Podcast. Other podcasts throughout the year featured broadcast business topics for TV and radio, technical discussions on ATSC 3.0 and hybrid radio, insights on NAB initiatives and more.
NAB developed a NEXTGEN TV – also known as ATSC 3.0 – seminar series for students of Howard University in Washington, D.C. The monthly seminar series had three sessions beginning in February 2021 with an introduction to NEXTGEN TV, followed by a session in March on the impact of Next Gen TV on journalism, production and programming, and ending in April 2021 with a session focused on the technology and impact of NEXTGEN TV. Participants that successfully completed all three follow-up quizzes for the sessions were awarded with a certificate of completion.
House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law Chairman David N. Cicilline (RI-01), Ranking Member Ken Buck (CO-04), Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) and Chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust and Consumer Rights Amy Klobuchar (MN) announced the introduction of the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act in Congress. NAB applauded the bipartisan cosponsors for reintroducing legislation allowing news publishers such as local broadcasters to collectively negotiate the terms on which their content may be distributed online. NAB looks forward to working with stakeholders and members of Congress on passing this legislation into law.
Emily Barr, president and CEO of Graham Media Group and NAB television board chair, testified at a House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law hearing on behalf of local broadcasters. Barr noted that the overwhelming power of Big Tech gatekeepers is threatening Americans' access to local journalism, and testified in support of the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act, which would institute an antitrust safe harbor allowing news producers to negotiate with digital platforms over the carriage terms of their content.
Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which included $1 billion for a vaccine awareness campaign. NAB applauded Congress for prioritizing broadcasters as essential message carriers for vaccine awareness efforts who are ideally suited for delivering critical vaccine information to the nation’s hardest-to-reach communities.
NAB announced the launch of NAB Amplify, a digital platform designed for year-round engagement for the media and entertainment industry. Users join to find meaningful connections, diverse and global perspectives and the discovery of trusted insights and product innovations. Also included a weekly newsletter titled The Angle and features a curation of original articles, expert-led VOD sessions, live networking events and case studies focused on key trends and topics.
During a time when the industry was facing disruption and experimentation due to the pandemic, this series showcased solutions to the world staying informed on local and global news and bringing back the enjoyment of live sports. Daily demonstrations brought together product experts and end-users to share case studies and their perspectives on the innovations elevating news and sports production. Participating companies included Bitmovin, Canon, Electro-Voice, ENCO Systems Inc., Rohde & Schwarz, RTS Intercom Systems and Sony.
NAB launched Spotlight Series, a new event series featuring members of Congress discussing key initiatives to advance diversity, equity and inclusion and their perspectives on broadcast media. The inaugural guest was Rep. Karen Bass (CA-37), with KNBC Los Angeles reporter Beverly White conducting the interview.
NAB launched a volunteer initiative, the Broadcast Ambassador program, to enhance communication between NAB and its member stations’ employees and ensure stations take full advantage of the benefits that come with NAB membership.
PILOT, an innovation initiative of NAB, announced the 2021 recipients of its annual media technology and innovation scholarships. The awards, valued at $2,500 each, were presented to four college students for the pursuit of studies related to broadcast or media technology and innovation.
NAB partnered with News-Press & Gazette (NPG) to virtually host the fifth NEXTGEN TV (ATSC 3.0) interoperability (InterOp) event and exercise different features of the ATSC 3.0 standard using various combinations of broadcast equipment and consumer Next Gen TV receivers to facilitate consumer adoption of this technology.
Beginning in March and culminating in July, NAB launched three online courses designed to educate broadcasters on specific legal and regulatory topics most relevant to their businesses. The courses are Radio Rules: A Guide to FCC Regulations at Radio Stations; Online Public Inspection File: What you Need to Know and a Political Advertising Primer that details the terminology and processes for stations to be in full compliance with the FCC’s political broadcasting rules.
In a huge win for broadcasters, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of an appeal by the FCC and NAB to a lower court ruling blocking changes to broadcast media ownership regulations. “NAB commends the unanimous decision by the Supreme Court that the FCC’s recent and long-overdue modernization of its broadcast ownership regulations was lawful and appropriate. It is critical that the Commission continue to examine its media ownership rules to ensure that America’s broadcasters are able to compete and meet the needs of local communities across the nation in today’s media landscape,” said then NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith.
NAB Show Premiere showcased product announcements, technology releases and innovation reveals from around the world. Leading companies like Sony Electronics, Panasonic, Grass Valley and more highlighted products and applications that would have been typically unveiled at NAB Show in Las Vegas. To round out the digital experience, curated education offerings and unique networking opportunities were available at no cost to NAB Amplify users.
Then NAB President and CEO Gordon H. Smith announced his plans to transition to an advisory and advocacy role effective Dec. 31, 2021. The organization’s Chief Operating Officer Curtis LeGeyt was named the next president and CEO of NAB effective Jan. 1, 2022.
Watch a video message from Smith
LeGeyt said, “To represent the broadcast industry and the local stations that bind our communities together in a moment of such tremendous change across the media landscape is a privilege.”
NAB announced the 10 winners of the 34th annual NAB Crystal Radio Awards. Since 1987, the NAB Crystal Radio Awards have recognized radio stations for their year-round commitment to community service. The winners were selected from 50 finalists and honored during NAB Show Premiere.
At a hearing before the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation Subcommittee on Communications, Media and Broadband titled "Shot of Truth: Communicating Trusted Vaccine Information," then NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith highlighted the important work broadcasters have done throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to keep their communities safe, informed and connected in addition to broadcasters' efforts to fight misinformation about vaccines and shine a light on the facts.
PILOT, in partnership with Verizon Media (now edgecast), commissioned Kearney, a global management consulting firm, to conduct research on the evolution of edge technologies for the broadcasting industry. Kearney spoke with a variety of executives in TV and radio to explore broadcasters’ attitudes on edge technology. The research, released in April on NAB Amplify, yielded over two dozen use cases of edge technology that spans all parts of the broadcasting business from content creation to distribution to measurement.
NAB continued to educate policymakers about the harm that would be caused to local radio stations, artists and listeners by imposing a performance tax on stations simply for airing and promoting music. In response, a bipartisan coalition of members from the House of Representatives and Senate, led by Reps. Kathy Castor (FL-14) and Steve Womack (AR-03) and Sens. Martin Heinrich (NM) and John Barrasso (WY), joined together to introduce the Local Radio Freedom Act - resolutions in Congress opposing "any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge" on local broadcast radio stations.
Hundreds of broadcasters from across the country joined the virtual 2021 State Leadership Conference to learn about the policies impacting the broadcast industry and to advocate on relevant legislative and regulatory issues. Then NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith delivered remarks and discussed the vital role of local stations with broadcast champion Sen. Maria Cantwell (WA). Other speakers included FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel and Rep. G.K. Butterfield (NC-01).
As a founding member of the Biden Administration’s COVID-19 Community Corps, NAB urged all local radio and television stations to take part in the National Month of Action in June to provide COVID-19 vaccine education and help ensure all Americans understood the importance of getting vaccinated.
NAB presented the 2021 Digital Leadership Award, NAB Engineering Achievement Awards for Radio and Television and the Service to Broadcast Engineering Award during “The Future of Media and NAB Technology Awards,” a special event hosted exclusively on NAB Amplify.
Dave Santrella, president, Broadcast Media, Salem Media Group, was elected chairman of the NAB Joint Board of Directors. Bill Wilson, CEO, Townsquare Media Group, was elected Radio Board Chair and Perry Sook, chairman, president and CEO of Nexstar Media Group, was elected Television Board Chair.
NAB and Consumer Technology Association (CTA) collaborated on implementing and updating the conformance test program for NEXTGEN TV receivers. The conformance test program is part of the NEXTGEN TV logo certification process for consumer receivers administered by CTA. The suite of tests applicable to the 2022 line of TV receivers was released in June.
Broadcasters rallied behind this legislation introduced by Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (WA) along with Sens. Ron Wyden (OR) and Mark Kelly (AZ) that would provide tax credits to television and radio stations that hire local journalists for their newsrooms. NAB led an effort, working closely with congressional sponsors and journalism organizations, to advance the Local Journalism Sustainability Act in Congress.
The 2021 Congressional PSA Campaign featured nearly 120 members of Congress and their families in 30-second radio and TV spots speaking on issues of concern to local communities, including vaccine education, cancer prevention, support for disabled veterans, suicide prevention, support for small businesses and blood donations, which were aired by local broadcasters. Since 1985, NAB has invited legislators and their families to participate in the Congressional PSA Campaign.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the MEDIA Diversity Act of 2021 (H.R. 1754) and a resolution reaffirming Congress' commitment to media diversity and pledging to work with the private sector on solutions eliminating barriers to media diversity (H.Res. 277). NAB applauded the bipartisan passage by the House of legislation promoting solutions that address barriers to entry into the media industry for underserved populations.
Sens. Gary Peters (MI) and Robert Menendez (NJ) introduced the Broadcast VOICES Act (S. 2456) in the Senate. Reps. G.K. Butterfield and Steven Horsford reintroduced the House companion bill, the Expanding Broadcast Opportunities Act (H.R. 4871). This bill would authorize the FCC to reestablish the Tax Certificate Program, which would provide a tax incentive to those who sold their majority interest in a radio or television station to underrepresented broadcasters.
The Celebration of Service to America Awards is the NAB Leadership Foundation’s largest fundraising initiative, which honors local radio and television stations throughout our country for their commitment and excellence of community service.
The 2021 Celebration of Service to America Awards was hosted by Emmy Award-winning host Tamron Hall and other celebrity guests during a one-hour television and digital program that aired July 10 through August 14, 2021 across 617 stations in the top 10 markets, reaching 8.7 million people.
The awards finalists collectively devoted more than 3,500 hours of airtime to public service and provided more than $43 million in funds and donations to support local businesses and charities to address the unique challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to station awards, the NAB Leadership Foundation presented the inaugural John D. Dingell Jr. Award for Excellence to Sens. Jon Tester (MT) and Jerry Moran (KS) and Reps. Mark Takano (CA-41) and Phil Roe (TN-1, retired), for their work to provide mental health resources for veterans.
Lin-Manuel Miranda received the Service to Leadership Award, the Foundation’s highest individual honor. Procter & Gamble received the Corporate Leadership Award for its extraordinary focus on community service and corporate social responsibility.
View the complete list of 2021 Celebration of Service to America Awards winners here.
NAB announced its partnership with TriNet to provide NAB member small and medium-size broadcasters with full-service human resources (HR) solutions tailored to the needs of individual stations and groups. TriNet is a professional employer organization and their services available to NAB members include payroll processing, risk mitigation, employee-related regulatory compliance advisory services and health insurance.
After intense lobbying by NAB and broadcasters, the FCC agreed to reduce its proposed regulatory fees for the broadcast industry by more than $5 million. In addition, the Commission – at NAB's urging – agreed to take up a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to address how to broaden the contributors to its fees; most notably, how to administer a regime where Big Tech pays its fair share for the first time.
NAB, the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council and the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters filed a petition for review with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit challenging the Federal Communications Commission order mandating disclosures for foreign government-sponsored programming.
NAB collaborated with NBC to test the workflow for delivering Ultra HD (UHD) content. NAB ingested the NBC primetime Olympics feed, which consisted of HD and 4K/UHD content, then broadcast this content to Next Gen TV sets using the ATSC 3.0 technology in NAB’s technology lab. This allowed NAB to compare broadcast HD, UHD and streaming content, as well as examine immersive audio, HDR, closed captions and Audio Description.
NAB commemorated the 20th anniversary of 9/11 by taking a look back at broadcasters' coverage of this historic event during the past two decades. These stories were highlighted at remembering 9/11 on WeAreBroadcasters.com. NAB is grateful to America's local radio and TV broadcasters for bringing listeners and viewers together during the most pivotal moments in our communities, nation and world.
September is Suicide Prevention Month. For reporters covering suicides, reporting best practices can help to reduce suicide contagion. Across the country, local broadcast stations are also using their platforms to raise awareness about suicide prevention resources in their communities. To that end, Save.org and Cisco joined forces to support journalists and content creators to reduce the risk of additional suicides by providing this tool to review article text and suggest best practices.
PILOT announced two winners of the 2021 PILOT Innovation Challenge:
BeamOn - Beam Dynamics – A cloud-based product intelligence platform for broadcast stations, this platform bridges the communication barrier between product owners and manufacturers to help broadcast studios reduce costly downtime on set and extend equipment life cycles.
Reinventing Local TV News: Prioritizing Animation and Graphics - Northeastern University. Researchers at Northeastern have demonstrated that animation and advanced graphics are effective ways to enhance broadcast journalism. Northeastern University's team provides research data, a roadmap, expertise and ready-to-use templates for animations and graphics.
NAB launched We Are Broadcasters radio and television spots that highlight the importance of trusted, local broadcast news at a time when misinformation is running rampant on social media. The spots are part of an effort to highlight the harm big tech companies pose to the trusted local journalism broadcasters provide as Congress considers legislation to address this issue. Click here to download the spots.
In comments filed with the FCC as part of the 2018 quadrennial review of broadcast ownership rules, NAB argued that the regulatory framework governing ownership of broadcast radio and television stations harms broadcasters' ability to compete in the marketplace, impedes localism and fails to promote diversity in ownership. NAB also noted that with the COVID-19 pandemic affecting advertising and changing Americans' content consumption habits, it is imperative for the FCC to update media ownership rules to allow broadcasters to create an economically feasible future for local journalism.
President Joe Biden nominated Jessica Rosenworcel as chairwoman of the FCC and Gigi Sohn as commissioner. NAB congratulated Jessica Rosenworcel on her historic nomination as the first woman nominated as permanent chair of the FCC.
A November 2021 study conducted by Edison Research of car buyers from around the world revealed that radio is the top audio source buyers are looking for in a new vehicle. The study, commissioned by WorldDAB in partnership with Radioplayer and sponsored by the National Association of Broadcasters, Commercial Radio Australia and Xperi – showed broadcast radio is uniquely valuable to listeners because it is reliable, free and doesn’t require data. Car buyers seek the vital connection to emergency information and local news that radio provides. The study reveals that the availability of radio has a major impact on consumers’ purchasing decisions.
In response to a petition from NAB, the FCC proposed changes to its rules to support television broadcasters’ transition to NEXTGEN TV, or ATSC 3.0. Because broadcasters are deploying ATSC 3.0 service without the benefit of additional spectrum, they must partner with other stations in their market to preserve ATSC 1.0 service to viewers. This proceeding was aimed at ensuring consistent treatment of different programming streams hosted on different facilities to help preserve access to ATSC 1.0 programming while supporting a successful transition to ATSC 3.0.
The NAB Show unveiled distinct destinations for the 2022 event, April 23-27, that will focus on three main pillars associated with the content lifecycle: Create, Connect and Capitalize. Situated throughout the North Hall, Central Hall and new West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, each area will offer renewed opportunities for learning, discovery and engagement. “We are reimagining NAB Show to more closely mirror today’s media, entertainment and technology ecosystem in a way that is intuitive and makes it easier for attendees to navigate the event,” said Chris Brown, executive vice president and managing director, Global Connections and Events. “We are also thrilled to offer new curated experience zones designed to spotlight innovation, stimulate meaningful networking, inspire new ways of thinking and provide premium education, insights and a focus on real-world implementation.”
The third annual NAB Show Product of the Year Awards were announced in early November during the virtual Product of the Year Awards celebration, held exclusively on NAB Amplify. The awards recognize significant and promising new products and technologies that were set to be displayed for the first time at the previously canceled 2021 NAB Show.
Broadcasters across the country celebrated radio’s 101st anniversary by spotlighting radio’s vital role in every community. From delivering President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s fireside chats and playing the first Beatles song on the radio to providing lifesaving coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic, local radio stations have shared the news, emergency updates and music that listeners have relied on for over a century – for free. NAB commemorated radio’s anniversary by highlighting key moments in radio from the last century.
The virtual NAB Marconi Radio Awards honored radio stations and on-air personalities for excellence in broadcasting. Sponsored by Xperi, the award program was hosted by Angela Yee, co-host of the nationally syndicated morning show, “The Breakfast Club.” Gordon Smith delivered his last State of the Industry address as NAB president and CEO. In his remarks, Smith shared the lessons for success that he learned along his Washington journey and how those lessons can benefit broadcasters moving forward. Click here to watch.
In comments before the Federal Communications Commission, NAB explained that it is patently unfair to require broadcasters to absorb significant fee increases each year to not only pay for the costs of regulating broadcasters but also for Commission activities that are primarily for the benefit of other entities in the telecommunications ecosystem.
NAB hosted a two-part online diversity symposium designed to help broadcast organizations develop corporate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) strategies and embrace diversity in media and the workplace. The symposium featured panel discussions with chief diversity officers of broadcast companies and current multicultural leaders within the industry.
In a significant win for broadcasters, the Local Journalism Sustainability Act, introduced in Congress earlier in the year, was included in the House passage of the Build Back Better Act. The provision supports broadcasters’ critical local journalism by making a tax credit available for the hiring and retention of up to 1,500 local news journalists per company each year over five years.
NAB thanks Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (WA) for serving as the lead sponsor of the legislation, and thanks Senate Majority Leader Schumer (NY), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (CA-12, Senate Finance Chairman Ron Wyden (OR), House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (MA-01) and their many colleagues for championing the inclusion of this important provision in the Build Back Better Act.
Presentations originally planned for the 75th annual Broadcast Engineering and Information Technology (BEIT) Conference premiered as video-on-demand (VOD) content exclusively on NABAmplify.com. This year focus was placed on the use of next-generation systems throughout the media-delivery ecosystem, with technical presentations covering topics such as the ongoing transition to IT- and IP-based systems and the incorporation of artificial intelligence and machine learning in broadcast technology. Viewers also received the full set of papers compiled in the Proceedings of the 75th BEIT Conference.
A new showcase will explore the transformative impact of data, artificial intelligence and automation on the media and entertainment industry at the 2022 NAB Show. The “Intelligent Content” showcase will direct attendees through data utilization in the content lifecycle, providing opportunities for inspiration, innovation and implementation.
The Intelligent Content showcase will feature networking events, future-focused exhibits and educational programming that will introduce new trends in production automation, content customization and immersive experiences.
NAB launched a series of roadshow seminars to help educate engineers in NEXTGEN TV, or ATSC 3.0, technology. The first seminar was held at NAB’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., on November 17 and 18. At least four additional seminars are planned for locations around the country.
NAB and the Howard University NEXTGEN TV Broadcast Collaborative held a virtual celebration of the launch of Next Generation TV service in the nation’s capital. NEXTGEN TV is an exciting, new broadcasting standard that combines the free accessibility of over-the-air television with the interactive features of the internet.
Emceed by TEGNA WUSA9 anchor and Howard University Alumna Lesli Foster, the event detailed the partnership between Howard University and four local TV affiliates to unlock the innovative features of NEXTGEN TV for viewers in the Washington, D.C. area. The program also recognized Howard University students certified in achieving foundational knowledge of NEXTGEN TV and honored the inaugural recipients of the new PILOT NEXTGEN TV fellowship program, launched by NAB with support from AWS.
In this virtual two-day career accelerator for women leaders, participants gained access to deep-dive workshops, industry leader panels and multiple networking opportunities built to amplify unique leadership skills. They also heard from executives across the media and entertainment industry. The program included a personal assessment to identify key strengths and next steps to starting one’s desired career journey.
In partnership with Xperi, PILOT’s global initiative focused on full broadcast radio support in Android Automotive completed work on the proposed additions to the Android. This included a demonstration application, the broadcast framework and a gap analysis outlining discrepancies and proposed solutions requested of Google. This initiative includes broadcasters from the U.S., the U.K., the European Union, Germany, Australia and Japan, as well as the automotive manufacturers Ford and Volkswagen.