An Electronic Publication of the National Association of Broadcasters

An Update on the 2020 NAB Show

At the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), we believe it is our responsibility to help stop the spread of COVID-19 and put the health and safety of our members, staff and show community first. Since announcing that we will not move forward with NAB Show in April, the landscape has continued to shift dramatically with major sports leagues, school districts and other businesses around the country suspending operations. The governor of Nevada has also made the decision to close all nonessential business operations in the state. National authorities are imploring Americans to telework wherever possible.

New Resources Available to Stations at NAB Coronavirus Toolkit

NAB is providing new tools and resources, including PSAs from the Red Cross and Ad Council, coverage of what stations are doing to keep their communities informed and more in the NAB Coronavirus Response Toolkit. The tools include guidance on prevention and precautions, creating response management teams and trusted sources. NAB thanks the many stations already running these PSAs, with airings worth up to $10 million in the first week alone.

Congress Debates COVID-19 Legislation

As of this writing, Congress is still debating the third COVID-19 legislative package, which looks like it will be worth in excess of $1 trillion, and perhaps as much as $2 trillion. NAB staff have been and will continue to advocate on Capitol Hill for legislative inclusions that help broadcasters stay on the air and provide the vital information that listeners and viewers rely on, more so in times like these. The current legislation being debated by Congress includes provisions that specifically would help small businesses, and thus small broadcasters, as well as increasing lending power from the United States Treasury Department for mid-size and larger companies. In addition, changes to the tax code are also being discussed, which would allow all companies, broadcasters included, to hold onto more of their money through the rest of the year.

Broadcasters have a unique role to play in crises like this. Our value is well known on Capitol Hill and we are in touch with our supporters in Congress, educating them on all the proactive work our stations and reporters are doing right now while also explaining to them that our ability to continue to broadcast at a high level is also at risk. We will continue to update you as this legislation and additional bills continue to be debated.

Pai Thanks Broadcasters for Education Efforts

On Monday, March 16, NAB, network representatives and station groups had a telephone conference with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai and members of his staff regarding broadcasters’ response to the coronavirus outbreak. Chairman Pai thanked broadcasters for their efforts to keep viewers and listeners informed during this rapidly evolving crisis. The chairman noted that the Commission would shortly be issuing additional guidance for broadcast television stations that are scheduled to move during Phase 9 of the repack; that guidance can be found here.

FCC Grants Regulatory Relief for Local News Sharing Arrangements to Cover COVID-19

On Thursday, March 19, the FCC released a public notice clarifying that stations are not required to reduce to writing or place in their online public files temporary agreements for shared news gathering efforts related to coverage of the novel coronavirus pandemic. When the FCC adopted the requirement to file shared services agreements, it specifically exempted ad-hoc or “on-the-fly” arrangements relating to breaking news. The public notice clarified that coronavirus coverage falls within this exemption. In taking this action, the FCC acknowledged that broadcasters “play an essential role in helping Americans stay safe and informed during the COVID-19 outbreak” and stated that it will continue to work with broadcasters to address operational challenges during this difficult time. 

Department of Homeland Security Issues Guidance on "Essential Workers" During COVID-19 Pandemic

The Cyber and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), an agency within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has issued several documents that may assist broadcasters seeking to access facilities and locations that are restricted pursuant state or local curfews, “shelter-in-place” and other directives intended to help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. Early last week, CISA issued two letters stating that the bearer of the letter must be able to travel to and access necessary infrastructure facilities during curfews and restricted travel periods in order to prevent loss of service or restore of critical communications services; and must receive priority access to fuel to execute these activities and for the operation of generators and response fleet vehicles to prevent communications outages. These letters may be found in NAB’s Coronavirus Response Toolkit.

Avoid COVID-19 Scams with Free Cybersecurity Online Course for Broadcasters

With the surge of coronavirus email scams from cybercriminals, NAB wants to ensure that broadcasters have the necessary tools and knowledge to keep their stations safe from potential phishing scams and cyberattacks.

Watch: Gordon Smith on "The Communicators"

This week, NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith appears on the C-SPAN program "The Communicators" to discuss the indispensable role of broadcasting in American life. His interview addresses why the coronavirus pandemic necessitated cancellation of the April NAB Show, NAB's PSA campaign to help prevent the spread of the virus, misinformation on social media and NAB's planned move to its new headquarters.

Red Cross PSAs Address Blood Donation Needs

As the global coronavirus pandemic continues, America’s blood centers have seen a drop in eligible donors. The American Red Cross has created PSAs urging healthy blood donors to schedule an appointment to donate blood now to ensure a sufficient supply of blood and prevent shortages. Download the PSAs from NAB Spot Center or from Extreme Reach today (ISCI codes below).

:30 VYRC9001209/H “Coronavirus PSA” :30 SD/HD
:15 VYRC8001209/H “Coronavirus PSA” :15 SD/HD

House Telecom Subcommittee Advances 11 Bills

On March 10, the House Energy and Commerce telecom subcommittee advanced by voice vote 11 bills covering a range of media diversity, public safety communications and spectrum issues. This includes Rep. G.K. Butterfield’s (NC-01) diversity tax certificate legislation, which NAB strongly supports, and legislation that would direct the FCC’s use of revenue derived from an auction of the C-band. NAB will keep our members apprised on these issues as the bills move to a full committee markup.

FCC Announces Repack Deadline Relief

The FCC has agreed to allow any station currently scheduled to change frequencies in Phase 9 of the spectrum repack to move to Phase 10 as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. The FCC Public Notice concerning this issue can be found here. The details for how to make the request are in the public notice. If stations in Phase 9 would still like to transition during this time, they may do so.

Reminder: All Broadcasters Should Download PB-19 Forms

As a reminder, during this election year, stations need to keep their political files current and accurate. To help broadcasters stay on top of their political advertising obligations, NAB has created streamlined, user-friendly versions of our forms for candidate and third-party issue ads, now called the "PB-19 Forms." Diligent completion and uploading of these forms to your political file will help your station avoid any problems that can lead to substantial FCC fines and penalties.

Upcoming Due Date for First Filing of Revised Children's TV Programming Reports

The FCC has completed its revision of the Children’s Television Programming Reports (FCC Form 2100, Schedule H) to reflect the revised “kid vid” rules. Broadcasters must report on their children’s educational and informational programming covering the period September 16 through December 31, 2019, on this new annual reporting form by March 30, 2020. Stations’ next annual children’s report covering all of 2020 will be due by the end of January 2021. Stations were permitted to begin populating and filing their Reports in the FCC’s Licensing and Management System (LMS) as of January 30, 2020. For further information, see the Media Bureau’s public notice.