1. Election Day is Quickly Approaching: Is Your Station Ready?
With Election Day less than two weeks away, the NAB Election Toolkit is is providing local TV and radio stations with resources they need to be prepared, offering tips to combat misinformation, drive get-out-the-vote efforts and cover local, state and federal elections. NAB’s Hispanic GOTV Toolkit provides targeted resources aimed at increasing voter participation and engagement within the Hispanic community.
Why it matters: With the spread of misinformation and disinformation on social media, the role of local broadcasters as custodians of the truth has never been more important. NAB is supporting its members as they work to deliver accurate and reliable election coverage across all platforms.
NAB is working with the Knight Election Working League this election season. As part of this initiative, the Associated Press has launched "Localize It," a guide to help newsrooms prebunk misinformation about vote counting.
Dig deeper:Ellen Crooke, senior vice president of News, TEGNA; Julie Ziegler, director of News and Programming, WTOP (Hubbard Radio); Tim Tunison, news director, WBAL-TV (Hearst Television), and Carlos Valdez, programming director, Bustos Media, shared with NAB how their stations have doubled down on efforts to verify information and build trust with their audiences during this critical election season.
2. NAB: How BPS Can Enhance U.S. Infrastructure Security
Invented by NAB’s Technology team, the Broadcast Positioning System (BPS) is a reliable, complementary service to GPS. Utilizing the ATSC 3.0 standard, broadcasters can transmit precise timing signals -- known as BPS -- from their towers. It works independently of GPS, internet or cellular connectivity.
Dig deeper: NAB has produced a video and white paper that detail how BPS can augment GPS by providing a complementary timing signal that can help detect jamming, spoofing or other types of more acute interference.
Why it matters: A GPS failure could be catastrophic to our nation, putting public safety at risk and costing hundreds of billions of dollars in potential damages. If GPS fails, BPS still works.
The bottom line: As the television industry works to rapidly deploy ATSC 3.0 signals nationwide, we need Congress’ support to expedite the transition, ensuring BPS can help defend our nation’s critical infrastructure, economic security and public safety.
3. FCC NCETV Filing Window and Temporary Freeze for Full Power and Class A Broadcasters
What's happening: The FCC has announced it will be opening a filing window for new noncommercial education television (NCETV) stations from December 4 through December 11. In connection with this, the FCC will not accept certain applications by full power or Class A television stations from December 3 through December 11.
Eligible entities will be able to submit applications for twelve specific reserved NCETV channels. Eligibility requirements are set out in Section 73.621 of the Commission’s rules.
From December 3 through December 11, the Commission will not accept minor or major change applications for full power and Class A television stations, nor will it accept rulemaking petitions for full power television stations to change channels.
Your participation in NAB’s We are Broadcasters campaign has been integral to our efforts to educate Congress on local stations’ essential role through the We Are Broadcasters campaign.
What's happening: We’re asking for your help again by airing new TV and radio spots that spotlight how broadcasters provide the most trusted news during a time when misinformation runs rampant on social media, along with the music, talk and sports your audiences rely on every day.
Why it matters: We know this might be a challenging time to find available inventory, but we didn’t want to delay sharing these spots with you as we lay the groundwork for a new Congress and administration in 2025.
Get involved: Please download our new spots today and air them as often as possible, particularly during times when your members of Congress are in their district offices. We provide a congressional calendar to help you identify district work periods.
5. NAB on the Move
NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt, NAB Senior Vice President, State, International and Board Relations Sue Keenom and NAB Senior Vice President, Government Relations Josh Pollack attended the western NASBA meeting this week. At the event, speakers celebrated New Mexico Broadcasters Association President Paula Maes as she prepares to retire.
Keenom also attended the South Dakota Broadcasters Association’s convention and provided attendees with an issue briefing.
6. Elevate Your Brand with NAB Studio
NAB’s state of the art broadcast studio is available for companies and organizations to rent. Let us help you elevate your brand! From pre-production planning to post-production editing, we can guide you through every step.
Produce audio and video content, including commercials, podcasts and webinars, without blowing your budget on expensive firms and agencies.
Features include a 28-foot curved video wall that allows you to create any type of set for any type of production.
Get started: Check out this video on all the great things NAB Studio can do for your business. You can learn more here or contact Mike Khatcheressian to schedule a tour.
