Gordon Smith Keynote at 2019 NAB Show Las Vegas, NV -- NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith delivered the annual NAB State of the Industry address during the 2019 NAB Show. Below is a transcript of his remarks as prepared for delivery.
***
Good morning. It's wonderful to see all of you here.
I so appreciate your attendance at this great show.
As we greet old friends and make new ones during our time here, many of us are reminded of a dear friend in the broadcasting industry we lost just last week Bruce Reese, the former head of Hubbard Radio and Bonneville International.
Bruce was a wonderful family man, an inspirational leader and a strong advocate for broadcasters.
He was passionate about this great industry and telling its story of public service.
He was an everyday hero and will be greatly missed.
Please join me in a moment of silence as we remember Bruce.
Now let me welcome the broadcasters, content creators, producers, distributors and technology companies from all corners of the globe who have come together to share their own passion for storytelling and to chart a course for a prosperous future.
This week at NAB Show, you will see an astounding array of exhibits that are telling the innovation story of the media and entertainment industry through product displays.
We're featuring the next generation of technologies, like artificial intelligence, cloud computing, next-gen wireless, e-sports and connected cars.
There is a saying that goes, Everybody has a story to tell.
My own NAB Show story began a decade ago - almost to this day, in fact - when I spoke at my first show as the new president and CEO.
On that morning, I shared the story of broadcasters' unrelenting commitment to always be there for their communities to inform them and to help them.
It is a deep-rooted commitment that manifests itself in many ways that often go unnoticed - in ways that have become ingrained in everyday life for millions of Americans.
Our communities turn on the radio to find out what the weather is like before heading to work to learn how to help their neighbors in need or to listen to the great personalities who seem like old friends.
They turn on their televisions to watch their favorite local news anchor and to get an unbiased report of what is happening in their communities.
And, they turn to their local broadcasters for a lifeline during emergencies.
This vital lifeline is the electronic thread that keeps every community together, informed and safe.
To me, the story of broadcasters is a story of everyday heroes.
What you do day in and day out can be taken for granted as your daily acts of service are sewn into the fabric of American life.
But make no mistake, what you do is vital - you are indispensable and irreplaceable.
I am reminded of something Oregon's 30th Governor and one of its best, Tom McCall once said about the definition of a hero.
He said, Heroes are not giant statues framed against a red sky. They are people who say: This is my community, and it is my responsibility to make it better.
An interesting note about Governor McCall - he was also a journalist and came to the publics attention when he served as a commentator on Portland's KGW-TV.
As a broadcaster, you strive to make your communities better expecting little in return.
And in this digital age, when people can access virtually anything from virtually anywhere from millions of sources of information, broadcasters' role in every community has become even more critical as people search for a trusted and reliable news source.
In the past, communities could also rely on their local newspapers but the industry has been undermined by the rise of the internet and social media companies.
Now some of these companies and our competitors are complaining that there's not enough local news to feed their own news streams.
This irony is not lost on me.
Yet, I doubt that they will ever be able to replicate the local content that broadcasters provide to our communities.
They will never have local broadcasters' commitment to the investigative journalism that exposes government corruption and other abuses of power.
And, they will never have what broadcasters have that make us so different from our competitors - our connection to local communities.
That is why local radio and television stations are more relevant, more vital and more trusted than ever before.
And that is why the story of broadcasters' everyday heroism that I shared 10 years ago rings even truer today.
As your advocates in our nation's capital, NAB is ensuring that policymakers and the rest of America truly understand the many ways you give back and your desire to always be there for your communities is what fuels you to constantly innovate.
Indeed, here at the show, the story of broadcasting - and where it fits in a rapidly evolving media and entertainment landscape - is on full display, and it is a story rich in innovation, inspiration and imagination.
One story we're excited to tell is about Next Generation Television, also known as ATSC 3.0. With Next Gen TV, we see the convergence of over the air and over the top, resulting in an enhanced viewing experience.
This enables TV stations to deliver their programming over the air not only to new TVs, but also to next-gen enabled tablets and cell phones without using your cellular network.
So, you can watch your shows and local news on the go without using all of your data.
The benefits of Next Gen TV include 4K ultra-high definition video, immersive, theater-like sound, interactive applications and mobility.
The Next Gen TV attachment with this phone lets me watch my favorite stations anywhere I am.
With this device, I am connected to a lifeline that can warn me of an impending storm and alert me to other emergencies with targeted publ
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Gordon Smith Keynote at 2019 NAB Show Las Vegas, NV -- NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith delivered the annual NAB State of the Industry address during the 2019 NAB Show. Below is a transcript of his remarks as prepared for delivery.
