May Momentum – Pass It On

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(By Deborah Parenti) Whatever else transpired during last month, May turned out to be a month of positive developments for radio broadcasters with promising signals for the future if efforts persist and momentum is maintained.

While a few may claim it no surprise (there are always some cynics among us), I think most broadcasters and bettors would not have predicted Ford’s reversal on AM radio – and certainly not so quickly. It was and is great news. But we need to be mindful that the battle isn’t over. Somewhat buried in that headline is that the decision only impacts vehicles through the 2024 models. That could be Ford kicking the can down the road until the dust settles. 

As long as AM radio is the only reliable delivery platform for emergency news and information, it needs to be classified as a necessary safety feature. The only sure road to keeping AM in the automobile is the AM for Every Vehicle Act. Kudos to the NAB and the state associations for their continued efforts toward insuring all “ears” stay on the ball in pushing for this proposed bill to become legislation.

But there was more good news for radio broadcasters last month. Capping off radio’s massive May on Capitol Hill, twenty-one members of the House of Representatives and two Senators have added their support for the Local Radio Freedom Act. In contrast, the record industry’s American Music Fairness Act, which seeks to impose additional royalty charges on broadcasters, has stalled in recent weeks.

Broadcasters have momentum on their side now, and thankfully are taking advantage of it. On the heels of today’s Congressional subcommittee hearing on the AM issue, state broadcasters associations will descend on Capitol Hill next week to lobby on behalf of the AM For Every Vehicle Act. Meanwhile, a coalition of over 1,500 AM member stations of the National Association of Farm Broadcasters is running a “Why I Listen” campaign urging their audiences to participate in an online survey about what motivates them to listen. And Michael Brown, who led the Federal Emergency Management Agency from 2003 to 2005 and now hosts the Michael Brown Show on iHeartMedia Denver’s KHOW-AM, penned a passionate letter in support of the AM For Every Radio Act to the bill’s co-sponsors, Sen. Ed Markey and Sen. Ted Cruz

The challenge to everyone with a stake in radio is not to become complacent and squander this hard-won capital being amassed today. Don’t expect others to keep moving the ball down the field. This is every radio broadcaster’s battle, and we should all be in it to win it.

At the same time, it’s imperative to live up to the image projected to legislators, auto manufacturers, and most importantly, listeners that radio, especially AM radio, can be depended on when the communities most need it. There have been some wonderful examples of that recently cited by Radio Ink and other trades. Those are exactly the stories broadcasters need to continue to share with all their constituencies. They are also stories every broadcaster should read and ask, “Would my station be as ready if it happened in my community? If you don’t have a game plan in place, today is not too soon to start working on one. Most disasters don’t give warning – we have to be prepared to serve and serve well.

Deborah Parenti is Publisher of Radio Ink. Reach Deborah at [email protected]. Read her Radio Ink digital archives here or read her latest column with a digital or print subscription here.

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