NAB: LOCALISM RULES WILL HAVE OPPOSITE EFFECT

The National Association of Broadcasters filed comments today with the FCC concerning recent proposals that would dictate how broadcasters serve their local communities, placing additional regulatory burdens on local radio and television stations.

"NAB respectfully disagrees with the statements in the Localism Report suggesting that radio and television broadcasters are out of touch with their communities and are failing to provide sufficient community-responsive programming," the NAB said in its filing."

"In sum, instead of achieving the commission's stated goal of promoting closer contact between broadcasters and their communities, the proposed rule changes will, in many cases, produce the opposite effect, resulting in a broadcasting industry less able to serve the public interest. “Especially in light of broadcasters' and other outlets' increasing service to local markets made possible by technological developments, NAB urges the FCC not to return to a regulatory regime from the analog era that would harm rather than help promote our common goal of providing service to our local communities."

Today's comments from NAB follow correspondence from roughly 150 lawmakers who have recently expressed concern over the FCC's proposed rulemaking.