By Michayla Maxwell and Bryson Scruggs
On June 12, 2025, Ben Hart, President and General Manager of WJCL Savannah, delivered a compelling address at the Chatham County Commerce Club on the challenges and trends that are changing the broadcasting industry.
Hart, who also serves as Chairman of the Georgia Association of Broadcasters (GAB), outlined a historic transition in media, a shift he paralleled in magnitude to industrial revolutions. While Hart’s message was delivered on behalf of WJCL, his insights are relevant for stations across Georgia.
In his address to the commerce, Hart detailed the evolution in the media. He describe
s an era where most people get news content based on their own biases from automated systems and algorithms. These algorithms create echo chambers and “information silos.”
Hart recounted an experience at WJCL involving an “interruption editorial”-breaking news. This event demonstrates the community’s essential, sometimes unexpected, need for timely information. This service was something an automated system could not replicate, emphasizing the importance of local journalism.
Hart also discussed the economic pressures facing local journalism, describing how major streaming services now make more than the entire U.S. broadcast industry in revenue. A key disparity being big tech companies often taking content broadcasters produce for free, then use it to sell advertising, directly impacting local revenue.
Despite these challenges, Hart also detailed proactive measures to safeguard the industry.
In recent visits to Capitol Hill, broadcasters have met with Georgia senators and congressmen to advocate for a “re-imagining of the pre-internet FCC regulations for broadcasters, in the face of a Wild West of big tech.”
Hart notes that the last update of who and what is regulated happened in the mid-1990s. These new rules would better suit today’s digital world, aiming to safeguard revenue and ensure fair competition for local broadcasters.
Furthermore, Hart addressed the perils of unchecked information. He recounted an experiment using Chat GPT to generate a speech, noting that while some content was accurate, much of it was manipulated by AI to fit a narrative. He emphasized that AI-generated content struggles to seek the truth and report it, one of the many codes of ethics journalists live by. He pointed out this flaw calls into questions how reliable AI can be to provide accurate and trustworthy content.
Hart asserted that a robust and free local press remains “critical to our country, democracy and our future.” This core belief underpins his philosophy.
“Community service is really the bread and butter of everything that we do as a television station. We help the community and the reason that we help the community is that we want the community to succeed. It’s priority number one for me,” he says to the GAB.
This is tangibly demonstrated by WJCL’s proactive engagement with partners like the Metro Savannah Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, where Hart spoke on local media’s services directly connecting business investments to community benefit.
The GAB views Chairman Hart’s insights as a vital roadmap. His address serves as a compelling reminder that local broadcasting is an indispensable community pillar. By understanding the changing media landscape; advocating for fair regulations; championing human journalism against AI; and strengthening community partnerships, Georgia broadcasters can secure their lasting relevance and success.
The GAB encourages all stations to draw inspiration from Hart’s leadership.
