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Broadcasters Association Warns That Big Tech Could Kill Journalism

By  |  September 3, 2020

A National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) warning came via a letter to the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law, reported the Hollywood Reporter. 

A handful of tech giants who are making billions in ad revenue are poised to kill local television and radio journalism, according to a statement submitted to a congressional antitrust subcommittee Wednesday, September 2, by the NAB.

NAB President and CEO Gordon H. Smith wrote a dire warning to the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law on behalf of the 7,500 local television and radio stations that belong to the organization, writing, “Local journalism is now at risk due to the overwhelming competitive position of a handful of technology companies in today’s digital marketplace.”

He stated, if left unchecked, Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Apple will continue to syphon ad revenues and strain local broadcasters’ online connections with members of the public during a time when free access to information is vital.