Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Gordon Smith Speech at Media Institute Communications Forum Luncheon

23/07/2019

Gordon Smith Speech at Media Institute Communications Forum Luncheon WASHINGTON, D.C. -- NNAB President & CEO Gordon Smith was the featured speaker at The Media Institute's Communications Forum luncheon today.

Below is a transcript of his speech as prepared for delivery.

* * *

Thank you. I appreciate this opportunity to talk about broadcasters' vital role in protecting the First Amendment and serving America's local communities.

Just a few days ago, Americans celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.

On that unforgettable day, an estimated 650 million people around the world tuned into their televisions as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the moon. Families and friends took a collective breath as they listened to Armstrong utter these memorable words, That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.

One-fifth of the world's population watched the live televised image of the moon landing that day, with millions of others also listening to the event on their radios.

As we reflect upon this special anniversary, I and we are reminded of how broadcasters are always there to capture the most indelible moments in history. Broadcasters have the unique ability to bring us together as a nation like no other medium can.

The world has changed dramatically in the five decades since the Apollo 11 moon landing. Indeed, the media landscape seems to have changed in the blink of an eye, and continues to rapidly progress.

Today, in addition to local radio and television stations, there are a multitude of sources of information and content, giving consumers an overwhelming number of options and creating greater competition.

Ten years ago, there were nearly 240 million websites. Today, there are more than 1.6 billion.

The rise of social media has presented another platform for people to connect with each other, share and gain information and express opinions. 500 million Tweets are sent a day and 1.56 billion people a day log onto Facebook.

And though the number of people who are using social media as a source for news is growing, sorting fact from fiction has become more challenging on these platforms.

In my two decades as a public servant and now more than a decade as a broadcaster, I have witnessed the growing influence of social media and wonder if it's no coincidence that we have also seen the rise of divisive politics. In my last Senate campaign, in 2008, the glue of civility seemed to come apart in our civic discourse and a decade later, it has only gotten worse.

Though the rise of social media can be seen as democratizing, giving a greater number of people the opportunity to express their thoughts and opinions in an open forum, I believe it has also been a destabilizing force that has impacted our society in troubling ways. The paradox of social media - democratizing, yet destabilizing. Again, I am a witness

There doesn't seem to be an appetite for civil discourse on these platforms. Rather, one can more easily find heated debates fueled by name calling or rumors and gossip that try to pass as journalistic news, and, unfortunately, sometimes succeed.

And what you find on pay TV can also be unsettling there the so-called news is fraught with partisan bickering, where the end-goal seems to be having the last word.

Sadly, we have become a more fragmented society where the winners and losers are quickly identified minute-by-minute on social media and where the truth and thoughtful debate are suppressed by the proliferation of fake news and false accounts.

Not surprisingly, a recent Ballast Research survey revealed that only two percent of policymakers believe social media is committed to hard facts and 90 percent believe that social media is part of the so called fake news problem.

It is a challenging time in the news industry where our citizens are overwhelmed by so much information and confused about finding the truth. That is why I believe broadcast radio and television are more important today than they have ever been.

Broadcasters give our communities coherence - survey after survey show that people trust their local stations that deliver the news accurately and without bias.

Local stations' investigations protect consumers from scams and their reporting of local elections help voters make informed decisions.

Broadcast networks provide high-quality and hard-hitting investigative stories and thoughtful public affairs programming such as 60 Minutes, Meet the Press and This Week, and presidential debates, that keep citizens informed and hold elected officials accountable for their actions.

It's unfortunate that at a time when this trusted information is so critical to our communities, some of our pay-TV partners, like AT&T and DISH, seem to be purposefully withholding broadcast signals from viewers - making them pawns in a political game that aims to upend the retransmission consent system.

Is their goal to manufacture the appearance of a broken system to encourage Congress to intervene just as it deliberates the upcoming STELAR expiration? If so, that is a dangerous game and one that hurts viewers - their customers - the most.

But, sadly, it's not all that surprising. After all, AT&T and DISH are the same companies that have been responsible for more than four out of five retransmission consent disruptions industry-wide over the past eight years.

AT&T is the same company that is currently making decisions to withhold its content from viewers on competing platforms in the immediate aftermath of a merger where they committed just the opposite to regulators.

It is the same company asking for exorbitant fees for their own content offerings, while refusing to fairly compensate broadcasters' highest-rated programming.

And finally, AT&T is the same
LINK: http://www.nab.org/documents/newsRoom/pressRelease.asp?id=5081...
See more stories from nab

Most recent headlines

06/10/2025

France Tlvisions Wins Prestigious 2025 EBU Technology & Innovation Award in Groundbreaking Collaboration with Dalet

France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...

04/09/2025

Monumental Sports & Entertainment and Dalet Win Prestigious 2025 NAB Show Project of the Year Award

Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...

08/07/2025

Carr Applauds Restoration of FCC Auction Authority

WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr is applauding the passage of President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill and provision...

08/07/2025

Channel 7 Sydney Chooses RTS and Magna Systems for ST-2110 Upgrade

SYDNEY RTS has announced that Channel 7 Sydney has deployed a new comms system from RTS as part of a larger ST-2110 upgrade....

08/07/2025

Gray Media and Scripps Agree to Swap TV Stations

ATLANTA & CINCINNATI Gray Media, Inc. and The E.W. Scripps Company have entered into agreements to swap television stations across five mid-sized and small mark...

07/07/2025

SBS Farewells Chair George Savvides AM

SBS Farewells Chair George Savvides AM 7 July, 2025 Media releases Born of Greek Cypriot parents, Mr Savvides joined the SBS Board as Deputy Chair in Febru...

07/07/2025

Staying Ahead of the Threat - Everywhere, Any Time

Advanced vision solutions deliver more than reliable night vision for tactical-edge warfighters. Today's technological advances can provide the capability f...

07/07/2025

Sinclair Names Narinder Sahai EVP and Chief Financial Officer

BALTIMORE Sinclair has named Narinder Sahai its executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective immediately....

07/07/2025

Riedel Communications Launches RefSuite Ecosystem for Spo...

Riedel Communications today announced the launch of RefSuite, a powerful new Managed Technology solution tailored to professional sports workflows. RefSuite com...

07/07/2025

Skandha Media Services expands MENA presence with new off...

Regional base will foster client engagement, partner collaboration, and executive touchpoints Skandha Media Services, a leading provider of cloud-native media ...

07/07/2025

ASG-Produced Video Wins Gold Telly Award

Advanced Systems Group, LLC (ASG), a technology and services provider for media creatives and content owners, announced its Against All Odds - ASG Builds Cutti...

07/07/2025

Skandha Media Services announces collaboration with Warne...

Agreement secured on the strength of Skandha's proven track record in delivering reliable managed services across the full content life cycle for existing h...

07/07/2025

1-2 Punch: The Cloud, Generative AI, and the Future of Sports-Content Distribution

1-2 Punch: The Cloud, Generative AI, and the Future of Sports-Content Distributi...

07/07/2025

Formula E: Host Broadcaster Aurora on Launching New AR Graphics at the Jakarta E-Prix

Tests and decisions: Formula E host broadcaster Aurora on launching new AR graph...

07/07/2025

Formula E: Using New AR Graphics for Storytelling at the Formula E Penultimate, Final E-Prix of the Season

Building tension: Using new AR graphics for storytelling at the Formula E penult...

07/07/2025

SVG Rewind: Four NFL Clubs Bring Us on Set of Respective Media Day Shoots

SVG Rewind: Four NFL Clubs Bring Us on Set of Respective Media Day Shoots An in-depth conversation with 49ers Laura Johnson, Ravens Jay O'Brien, Las Vegas R...

07/07/2025

Cosm To Build Fifth Shared Reality Venue in Cleveland as Part of Bedrock's Rock Block' Development

Cosm To Build Fifth Shared Reality Venue in Cleveland as Part of Bedrock's ...

07/07/2025

'She Walks in Darkness', Agustn Daz Yanes' New Film, Premieres on Netflix on October 17

Back to All News She Walks in Darkness, Agust n D az Yanes New Film, Premieres ...

07/07/2025

2025-07-07

CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA As Apple Music marks its 10th anniversary this year, Apple unveils its most ambitious creative project to date: a brand-new state-of-the...

07/07/2025

RT Announces Mark Bignell as new Commissioning Editor for Comedy

RT has announced that Mark Bignell has been appointed Commissioning Editor for Comedy following a public competition. This senior editorial position will drive...

05/07/2025

'Superestar,' the Story of a Star Who Never Changed. Premiering July 18

Back to All News Superestar, the Story of a Star Who Never Changed. Premiering July 18 Entertainment 05 July 2025 GlobalSpain Link copied to clipboard Dis...

04/07/2025

Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Tadashi Nakamura, the Filmmaker Behind Third Act

By Lucy Spicer Editor's note: We are deeply saddened by the passing of Robe...

04/07/2025

Spotify Partners With The Reading Agency to Bring the Summer Reading Challenge to Life Through Audio

The Summer Reading Challenge has inspired children across the U.K. to embrace a ...

04/07/2025

Introducing CVP Auctions: Trusted Tech, At Auction-Only Prices

Introducing CVP Auctions: Trusted Tech, At Auction-Only Prices Brie Clayton July 4, 2025 0 Comments A New Destination for Film and Broadcast Gear at U...

04/07/2025

Unveiling China's Ecological Wonders with URSA Mini Pro 12K

Unveiling China's Ecological Wonders with URSA Mini Pro 12K Brie Clayton July 4, 2025 0 Comments Nature Documentaries Freeze Epic Momentsin Extrem...

04/07/2025

Create Any Planet in After Effects

Create Any Planet in After Effects Graham Quince July 4, 2025 0 Comments The Advanced 3D renderer in After Effects makes it really easy to import 3D o...

04/07/2025

Custom Gradient Colorize for Resolve Fusion

Custom Gradient Colorize for Resolve Fusion Simon Ubsdell July 4, 2025 0 Comments Digging into the theory of the gradient colorize process to build ou...

04/07/2025

NESN Gives Red Sox-Reds Matchup a Retro Makeover

Watching live sports on TV these days is a delicate balance for broadcasters how much information is too much?...

04/07/2025

FCC Announces Tentative Agenda for July Open Meeting

WASHINGTON As Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr works to achieve his goal of a very busy, productive summer at the FCC, the agency has rele...

04/07/2025

Other World Computing Launches OWC Guardian USB-C Hardware-Encrypted Portable SSD

Other World Computing Launches OWC Guardian USB-C Hardware-Encrypted Portable SS...

04/07/2025

CANAL+ Brings MotoGP to Vision Pro with Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive

CANAL Brings MotoGP to Vision Pro with Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive Brie Clayton July 3, 2025 0 Comments Experience MotoGP like never before as CA...

04/07/2025

Official trailer revealed for new season of BAFTA-winning Sky Original comedy Mr Bigstuff, coming 24 July

Friday 4 July 2025 Watch the trailer here https://youtu.be/Od5WpvWmDr8 Further...

04/07/2025

Join RT Radio 1 for The Pitch, a new series exploring the heart of Ireland's GAA Clubs

The Pitch comes to RT Radio 1 airwaves this Sunday at 7pm. The Pitch is a brand...

03/07/2025

Introducing: New Carts

For our Vario-Jib, as well as for a repertoire of weights, we now have carts that make transport easier...

03/07/2025

Introducing: Slider Drive Unit

One of our latest innovations: Slider Drive Unit! Our Vario Slider not only comes with improvements and new features, but also with its own drive unit! Our i...

03/07/2025

Introducing: ARRI EVO 360

The 360 EVO lives up to its name: 360-degree rotation not only on the pan axis, but also on the roll axis, enables filmmakers to take their creative visions eve...

03/07/2025

Panther at BSC EXPO 2025

What a buzzing few days at BSCExpo in London! We were thrilled to connect with so many talented professionals from the world of cinematography. A huge thank ...

03/07/2025

"The whole rig had to be detachable mid-episode

ADOLESCENCE - Shot with Panther Tower"The whole rig had to be detachable mid-episode Netflix limited drama series Adolescence has been gaining attentio...

03/07/2025

Advanced Communication Systems Unleash a Tactical Advantage in Modern Combat Operations

To achieve a true level of decisive overmatch, communication systems must be as ...

03/07/2025

Paramount's Ray Hopkins Joins Broadcasters Foundation Board

The Broadcasters Foundation of America has named Ray Hopkins, president of U.S. distribution at Paramount Global, to its board of directors....

03/07/2025

FCC Chair Carr Lays Out Infrastructure Policy Agenda

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. In his first major policy speech, Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr outlined his Build America Agenda for the agency'...

03/07/2025

TV Tech's Top NextGen TV Stories of 2025

As the industry is making a major push to transition to NextGen TV and develop new businesses that will fund the next generation of broadcasting, TV Tech's ...

03/07/2025

Netflix Rolls Out AV1 Film Grain Synthesis Streams for Film Content

Despite enabling its subscribers to watch films and TV shows in the highest possible resolution, Netflix has revealed it is taking things old school with the in...

03/07/2025

FCC's Gomez, Sen. Markey, Critics Blast Paramount-Trump Settlement

WASHINGTON In response to news that Paramount Global has agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit by President Donald Trump, Democrats and other administra...

03/07/2025

Riedel Communications Unveils RefSuite Sports Ecosystem

WUPPERTAL, Germany Riedel Communications today launched RefSuite for professional sports workflows....

03/07/2025

LYNX Technik Appoints New Executive Leadership Team

WEITERSTADT, Germany LYNX Technik, a provider of modular signal processing solutions, has announced that founder and longtime CEO Winfried Deckelmann is steppin...

03/07/2025

CTA, NCTA, LPTVBA Meet With FCC to Oppose NAB's ATSC 3.0 Petition

WASHINGTON Representatives from six trade groups representing tech, pay TV, broadband, LPTV and other sectors recently met with Federal Communications Commissio...

03/07/2025

Dan Whealy Acquires Heartland Video Systems

PLYMOUTH, Wis. Dan Whealy has acquired Heartland Video Systems and will be its new owner and president, the systems integrator said....

03/07/2025

Filmmaker Jay Holben Releases The Directors Guide to Ever...

Acclaimed filmmaker, educator, and industry veteran Jay Holben has released his most ambitious work to date: The Director's Guide to Everything a sweeping...