What broadcasters saw from DC and AZ government in 2022 + what’s ahead in 2023

January 4, 2023 by Arizona Media Association Uncategorized Comments Off on What broadcasters saw from DC and AZ government in 2022 + what’s ahead in 2023

There’s good reason to celebrate several big legislative wins from 2022 and also look ahead to even bigger opportunities in 2023.

Here are some of the key areas the ABA and NAB have been focusing:

A majority of the US House of Representatives again cosponsored the Local Radio Freedom Act (LRFA), opposing a radio performance tax and effectively shutting down the record labels’ money grab.
In Arizona, we won a lawsuit to stop a new law that would have banned local media from recording police activity within a certain distance.
The US Senate Judiciary Committee passed The Journalism Competition and Preservation Act (JCPA), a major step forward for legislation that would allow broadcasters to negotiate with Big Tech companies on how radio and TV stations are compensated for content posted to platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and more. In 2023, we need to get it passed and signed into law.
We continue to garner support from key policymakers for the Local Journalism Sustainability Act (LJSA), a national bill that would create a tax credit for broadcasters and certain publications for the hiring and retention of up to 1,500 local news journalists annually over five years.
The US House passed legislation that would provide legal cover for broadcasters to accept cannabis advertising in states where cannabis is legal. In 2023, we will be working to get the Senate to do the same so this legislation can be signed into law.
Thanks to both ABA and NAB advocacy, the FCC’s proposed 13% increase in broadcast regulatory fees for Fiscal Year 2022 was slashed almost in half, saving stations approximately $2.3 million from the original proposal.
Divided government in Arizona likely means a quieter 2023 in the state legislature. Our state lobbyist will be watching for any new bills that could negatively affect our broadcasting world.
Divided government in Washington DC leaves a lot of unknowns. Luckily, a majority of our broadcast issues have support on both sides of the aisle.