With the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act now in the Senate’s hands, Christian broadcasters brought their priorities to Capitol Hill. NRB’s President’s Council gathered in DC for its Capitol Hill Media Summit with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty.
The Summit opened with NRB presenting its 2026 First Freedoms Award to Speaker Johnson, who reflected on his 30-year career as a constitutional attorney and lawmaker and spoke about the role of Christian broadcasting, saying, “I just want to thank the Patriots in the room for doing what you do and consistently putting out the Eternal Truth on the airwaves when there’s so much misinformation.” Salem Media Group President of Broadcast Allen Power was also recognized for 50 years of service in Christian media ahead of his retirement.
During a public policy briefing, NRB Vice President of Public Policy Nic Anderson outlined the association’s efforts to move the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act through the Senate and push back on regulatory overreach.
Commissioner Trusty addressed modernizing broadcast regulations while preserving localism, viewpoint diversity, and First Amendment protections, commenting, “We want to make sure we have an environment that allows you all to thrive.” In January, NRB filed comments in the FCC’s 2022 Quadrennial Review backing the elimination of AM ownership caps, citing the band’s “well-documented technical, economic, and competitive challenges,” while urging the Commission to keep existing FM limits. The association warned that loosening FM caps would “risk accelerating consolidation in precisely the segment of radio where localism and viewpoint diversity remain most vibrant, and most vulnerable.”
In addition, Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) discussed federal legislative priorities and religious liberty on Capitol Hill, and Rep. Keith Self (R-TX) spoke on legal and cultural challenges facing Christians in the US.
Attendees also heard from author Os Guinness and Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel for Global Religious Freedom Sean Nelson, toured the US Supreme Court, and previewed the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, which will host the NRB 2027 International Christian Media Convention.
