Former NAB Pres./CEO Gordon Smith Urges Lawmakers To Pass Journalism Competition and Preservation Act In Op-Ed Column

Smith

Former NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS Pres/CEO GORDON SMITH is still advocating for broadcasters, writing an op-ed for THE HILL urging lawmakers to support the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act (JCPA), which would give news organizations, including broadcasters, a four-year "safe harbor" from antitrust laws to allow them to negotiate as a group with social media companies regarding content distribution.

In his column, SMITH charges that "billion-dollar tech companies are threatening the future of local journalism that is the very bedrock of our democracy. Without congressional action, your trusted local news may someday be nothing more than misinformation and clickbait." He warns that while "broadcasters provide a uniquely free over-the-air service to the public.... the rapid, often anticompetitive expansion of the dominant Big Tech platforms has upended the advertising marketplace, posing a grave threat to the industry." He notes the bipartisan support for the JCPA and concludes, "Passage of this legislation is vital to broadcasters’ mission to create an informed citizenry, ensuring the fundamental truths espoused by our nation’s founders will endure. Never has our role been so critical in our democratic process. "

Read the op-ed here.

« see more Net News