FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel Touts Radio's Localism At NAB Show

Rosenworcel and LeGeyt

In a collegial and wide-ranging "fireside chat" with fellow CONNECTICUT native and NAB Pres./CEO CURTIS LEGEYT before a sparse crowd at the NAB SHOW in LAS VEGAS MONDAY (4/25), FCC Chairwoman JESSICA ROSENWORCEL touted the Commission's accomplishments despite being short one Commissioner, reminisced about her youth looking for the WTIC-F/HARTFORD "Prize Patrol," the desire to help local broadcasters thrive and protect local journalism, and the advances of ATSC 3.0 television, for which LEGEYT asked her if the FCC can do something to help encourage the consumer technology industry to adopt and promote.

In a brief note on radio, ROSENWORCEL waxed enthusiastic about the medium's local aspect, telling LEGEYT, "There's still something so special about a voice in the air that is fully local." Later, LEGEYT raised the issue of GEOBROADCAST SOLUTIONS' FM booster platform to allow geotargeted content, and ROSENWORCEL did not directly answer the question about the FCC's position, saying only that data from the SAN JOSE and JACKSON, MS tests are open for comment.

Moving on to discuss diversity in broadcast hiring and the industry's need to compete with other technology industries for talent, ROSENWORCEL, noting that she is the first female FCC chair, responded that her agency has expanded its diversity efforts and pointed to the NAB's own diversity training programs as providing pipelines for diverse aspirants.

ROSENWORCEL advised broadcasters to stress the medium's localism, saying, "You're trusted for it, and that's a rare thing."

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