Southeast broadcasters have worked tirelessly over the past week to help its communities prepare for, stay aware of and recover from Hurricane Helene, which made landfall in the Florida Gulf Coast late Thursday evening.
In a statement, the Georgia Association of Broadcasters expressed its heartfelt gratitude for the efforts of Georgia broadcasters and beyond, who faithfully served their communities before, during and after the storm. These efforts have not ceased, as communities and stations across the southeast continue to recover from the storm.
The service of local broadcasters is a lifeline in times of emergency such as this one.
Stay tuned for further updates and coverage on the tremendous service made by broadcasters during this time.
If you are a broadcaster that was affected by the storm, you may apply for assistance at Broadcasters Foundation of America.
In light of the recent natural disaster that struck the Southeastern United States, the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau has extended the deadline for the ETRS Form One from to October 18 to provide recovering broadcasters ample time to submit.
The previous deadline was October 4.
All EAS participants are now required to submit their ETRS Form One for calendar year 2024 in the ETRS by October 18, EAS participants that have already submitted their form do not need to take further action.
The AM for Every Vehicle Act garnered further support over the last week in both the House and the Senate. The House now boasts 263 (of the necessary 262) Co-sponsors, and the Senate is just one vote shy of the Supermajority at 62 Co-sponsors.
This is one step closer to the bill gaining passage before Congress adjourns for the year.
Good Day Atlanta bid FOX5 Storm Team meteorologist Jeff Hill a bittersweet goodbye.
September 27, 2024, marked a new chapter in Hill’s life, as he entered retirement, after 26 years in Atlanta, and 37 years in the broadcasting business. Before landing in Atlanta, Hill spent time in Sioux City, IA, Richmond, VA, Pittsburgh, PA and Raleigh-Durham, NC.
In the midst of Hurricane Helene coverage, Alyse Eady and Joanne Feldman, sat with Hill for a goodbye filled with teary eyes and joyful memories.
The segment covered happy moments from Hill’s career, ranging from the birth of his daughter to covering Groundhog day in 12 degree weather. Hill’s daughters, Katie and Madeline, sent in videos to wish their dad congratulations as well.
Congratulations on a well-deserved retirement, Jeff! Thank you for your service to Atlanta and the greater-Atlanta community.
11Alive has welcomed Phil Hendrix to the station’s team as its managing editor.
Hendrix brings more than 30 years of experience to his new role, with backgrounds in local news and producing. Most recently he served in senior producer roles at Black News Channel and TheGrio, a video-centric news community site devoted to African Americans audiences.
Hendrix graduated from Central Michigan University with a BA in Broadcast & Cinematic Arts in 1988 and received his MA in 1990. In 1996, Hendrix returned to school to receive an MA in Business Administration from the University of Michigan-Flint.
Welcome to Atlanta, Phil!
In observance of Hispanic Heritage Month (Sep. 15, 2024 – Oct. 15, 2024), 11Alive and The Tegna Foundation celebrated by providing a $5,000 grant to Ser Familia, Inc. The grant serves to support Latino families in the Atlanta area.
Ser Familia, Inc. aims to support the wellbeing of Latino families and provide them with skills, tools and resources to thrive.
Read more on the events celebrating and honoring Hispanic Heritage Month
In a blog post shared by the NAB’s Rick Kaplan on Sept. 20, 2024, the NAB’s Chief Legal Officer and Executive Vice President of Legal and Regulatory Affairs, discussed the FCC’s recent proposal to regulate political AI ads in radio and tv broadcasting.
Kaplan takes a stance against the proposal, stating that the verbiage is too broad and would lead to further confusion and potential for misinformation rather than its intended purpose to contain it.
“This generic disclaimer doesn’t provide meaningful insight for audiences. AI is often used for routine tasks like improving sound or video quality, which has nothing to do with deception. By requiring this blanket disclaimer for all uses of AI, the public would likely be misled into thinking every ad is suspicious, making it harder to identify genuinely misleading content,” Kaplan states.
He points out that this will drive political ads made with the use of AI further towards digital platforms, which would not be required to disclose the use of AI. Additionally, if the same ad is run on both television and published on an online platform, the tv version would have a disclaimer, while the version on a streaming service would not.
Kaplan recognizes the need for some degree of regulation on political advertisement created with AI, but believes that this should be accomplished in Congress. In his blog, he makes the point that Congress would be able to create legislation that would apply to both broadcasting and digital platforms, “Congress can develop fair and effective standards that apply to everyone and benefit the American public.”
On September 23, 2024, Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, a Democrat of Pennsylvania, was joined by three Cosponsors in introducing H.R.1491, a bipartisan resolution that would designate October 23 as Public Radio Music Day.
Public Radio Music Day would celebrate the role that public radio stations play in exposing local audiences to new musicians, while providing the up-and-coming artists with exposure to help their dreams take flight.
In collaboration with the Alliance of Rural Public Media, noncomMusic Alliance is hosting the fifth annual celebration of Public Radio Music Day on October 23, 2024. The theme of this year’s celebration is Bringing People Together: From Coast to Coast. According to the event page, the celebration aims to highlight the role that public radio music plays in bridging divides across the nation and promoting access to music in rural communities, music education and supporting local art communities.
Since its introduction, the legislation has gained four additional Cosponsors.
H.R. 8449 AM for Every Vehicle Act of 2024
Headed by Reps. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL).
09/18/24 – House of Energy and Commerce passes bill to House floor in 45 – 2 vote
H.R.8072 – Broadcast VOICES Act
Broadcast Varied Ownership Incentives for Community Expanded Service Act
- 10 Cosponsors
Broadcast Varied Ownership Incentives for Community Expanded Service Act
- 7 Cosponsors
H.R. 3414 AM for Every Vehicle Act of 2023
- 263 Cosponsors
S.1669 AM for Every Vehicle Act of 2023
- 62 Cosponsors
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