The scrutiny that broadcasters are under in Washington is unlike any other in recent times, with license challenges to stations that have aired content President Trump has criticized, and radio stations being investigated for the content of their news reports. In his first public speech since the new administration came to office, National Association of Broadcasters President Curtis LeGeyt said stations must be allowed to speak the truth.
“There has never been a more critical time to arm Americans with the facts and let them make their own decisions. To fulfill this mission, our newsrooms must be able to report without fear or favor,” LeGeyt said. “This isn’t just a constitutionally protected right — it is fundamental to serving our communities. And it’s a right we’ve had to defend time and time again since our country’s founding.”
Speaking Wednesday to The Media Institute, LeGeyt called broadcasters “beacons of our democracy” who must be allowed to exercise their First Amendment right to report, inform and help Americans understand the issues that affect their daily lives.
“Efforts to limit the ability of broadcasters to report the facts hinder the public’s right to know and chills free speech,” LeGeyt said. “Americans deserve the full and fair reporting that broadcasters provide and NAB strongly defends our members’ First Amendment rights and their vital role in maintaining an informed public. Our democracy relies on journalists’ ability to report the news without the risk of government retribution. In a media environment flooded with social media misinformation and cable news politicization, this role has never been more important.”
LeGeyt did not mention President Trump or FCC Chair Brendan Carr by name, however, suggesting the issues facing radio and TV are much larger.
“This is a challenging time to be a broadcast journalist,” he said. “It’s not easy to report on the deluge of information — and misinformation on social media — that is shaping our world. Especially in cutting through polarized rhetoric to find the truth.”
One reason for that reluctance to be specific in his critique is the NAB also has some policy issues it would like to see enacted by the current administration. None is bigger than updating the media ownership rules.
The NAB has advocated for “maximum regulatory relief” as it proposed all ownership caps be eliminated for AM stations. And on the FM dial, how far its proposed changes would go would depend on market size. The NAB also believes the FCC should first eliminate the national audience cap that prevents TV operators from growing larger. LeGeyt said the limits on radio ownership hinder investment in local stations, hurting their ability to grow and limiting programming choices. He said that puts consumers at a disadvantage since they will need to pay a subscription fee to access streaming channels that have no limits.
“These national and local ownership rules were crafted to promote competition, but in practice, they give Big Tech a free pass to dominate and serve audiences with content based on algorithms that reinforce our biases and divide us rather than bring us together,” LeGeyt said. “In contrast, local stations deliver content that is meant to serve our collective community. Yet, we are competing with both arms tied behind our backs. The consequences of this are alarming.”
Some radio groups have suggested that more modest changes would better serve the marketplace, with the risk that bigger changes will “open the door to significant competitive harms.” But there is likely common agreement that local radio and TV stations are filling the growing gap in many cities left by the collapse of the newspaper industry.
LeGeyt said that local stations are ensuring that Americans have access to local news and verified information they need to stay informed. “For this reason, the trust audiences place in local broadcasters is unmatched,” he pointed out. “A recent study found that 73% of adults trust local TV news and 65% trust news on the radio. This far surpasses public trust in social media.”
LeGeyt also spoke out in favor of changes to the rules governing how local broadcasters can access rights to air live sports to ensure play-by-play remains available on free, over-the-air radio and television. He noted that broadcasters also stepped up during times of crisis, as demonstrated during the recent Los Angeles wildfires.
“We are doing our part to serve our communities at the very time they need us most,” said LeGeyt. “And we look forward to working with the FCC and Congress to do their part to ensure local broadcasters can be unshackled from the outdated rules that have held us back for so long.”
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