Hundreds of broadcasters will head to Washington, DC, next month for the NAB’s annual State Leadership Conference. They are now getting a first look at the policy agenda awaiting them on Capitol Hill for one of local radio’s most consequential weeks of the year.
To properly set the stakes, Minnesota Broadcasters Association President Wendy Paulson and Kentucky Broadcasters Association President Chris Winkle sat down with NAB EVP of Government Relations Shawn Donilon and Salem Media Group Director of Government Affairs and NRB VP of Public Policy Nic Anderson on NASBA’s Broadcast Advocate podcast.
The group broke down exactly what’s on the line and what state broadcasters need to know before they hit the halls of Congress.
The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act has emerged as the marquee issue heading into SLC, with more than 375 co-sponsors across both chambers, as the legislation to protect access to AM radio in the car dashboard sits with House and Senate leadership awaiting a floor vote. The ask for SLC attendees is direct: thank co-sponsors already on board and press them to help push the bill to a floor vote this session. Anderson also noted that President Trump recently voiced support during an appearance on Salem’s nationally syndicated Hugh Hewitt Show, giving broadcasters fresh power when they walk into those Hill meetings.
Radio’s long-running battle against a new performance royalty is no less urgent this cycle, as the record industry continues its high-profile assault.
As Anderson says, the message to lawmakers is straightforward: radio already delivers enormous value to artists and labels. Airplay still drives massive discovery, ticket sales, streaming, and fan engagement. Piling on a new performance royalty would hit local stations hardest, particularly those in rural markets, faith-based formats, and niche programming already operating on razor-thin margins.
Ownership caps are also another huge talking point as the FCC conducts its 2022 Quadrennial Review, and building bipartisan pressure for that action is a central SLC objective. Last week, NAB President Curtis LeGeyt testified before the Senate Commerce Committee on the 39% national television ownership cap. Many broadcasters argue that cap, like current radio ownership limits, belong to a different era.
Donilon framed it bluntly, saying, “We’re competing for advertising against tech behemoths like Google, Facebook. We’re competing for marquee programming against Netflix, Amazon. These companies don’t just have national scale, they have global scale.”
Both Anderson and Donilon emphasized that the fly-in is an opening move, not the closing argument. Anderson urged attendees to invite members of Congress and their staffs into the studio, let them meet the team, see the EAS equipment, and understand firsthand what local broadcasting means to a community. Donilon pointed to the NAB’s Depend on AM public awareness campaign as a model for sustaining that engagement year-round.
Anderson’s closing case for any broadcaster still on the fence about making the trip: “There’s an old saying in DC: you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu. We have to be able to tell our story. We’re the only ones who can.”
