2019 NABShow is officially open #NABShow

The 2019 NABShow was officially opened this morning, and NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith delivered the annual NAB State of the Industry address to attendees.

In his address this morning Gordon talked about broadcasters’ unrelenting commitment to always be there for their communities saying …it is a deep-rooted commitment that manifests itself in many ways that often go unnoticed, in ways that have become ingrained in everyday life for millions of Americans.

“Our communities turn on the radio to find out what the weather is like before heading to work, to learn how to help their neighbours in need, or to listen to the great personalities who seem like old friends.

“And, they turn to their local broadcasters for a lifeline during emergencies. But make no mistake, what you do is vital – you are indispensable and irreplaceable. As a broadcaster, you strive to make your communities better expecting little in return.

“… in this digital age, when people can access virtually anything from virtually anywhere from millions of sources of information, broadcasters’ role in every community has become even more critical as people search for a trusted and reliable news source.

“In the past, communities could also rely on their local newspapers…but that industry has been undermined by the rise of the internet and social media companies. Now some of these companies and our competitors are complaining that there’s not enough local news to feed their own news streams.

“This irony is not lost on me. Yet, I doubt that they will ever be able to replicate the local content that broadcasters provide to our communities.

“They will never have local broadcasters’ commitment to the investigative journalism that exposes government corruption and other abuses of power.

“And, they will never have what broadcasters have that make us so different from our competitors – our connection to local communities.

“That is why local radio and television stations are more relevant, more vital and more trusted than ever before.”

During this morning’s official opening, Tom Taylor received the Spirit of Broadcasting Award for over 30 years’ service to radio, and Alan Alda was the Distinguished Service Award Recipient
 
 
 

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