Christopher Chayko VR’s Post

If you've worked in the broadcasting or advertising industries, you'd immediately know the SNL skit last night was a red flag: Featuring a political candidate in a broadcast when others are not afforded equal time violates FCC regulations. This can be prosecuted, and since the damage is done and there is no equal time left to give, one would expect an outcome that is both swift and excruciating for the violator, in this case, CNBC. As many know, election integrity and trust in media are major issues today. So, why would NBC do such a thing? Several likely reasons come to mind: 1. They simply don't care about the consequences at any cost. 2. The consequences in terms of fines are too small; there is low chance of suspension; and / or there is low probability any consequences will be inflicted at all. 3. NBC believes it is in a morally superior position to rules and regulations. https://lnkd.in/eNqftFte

The day when Republicans, and especially Trump, goes after Fox and other avowedly hard-right conservative broadcast owners for editorial decisions they make in presenting "news", then I'll consider the "public interest" argument. Yes, cable networks are not subject to the kind of regulation allowable under the "public airwaves" theory, but intentional lies and distortions are what they are and if a selective use of "public interest" is used to threaten the licenses of broadcasters Trump selects, then we no longer living in even a sham democracy. Let the FCC under Carr reimpose the "Fairness Doctrine" and let Congress let it stand, and maybe America can restore a bit of integrity to reporting and political coverage across the political and broadcast spectrum; as it should be. https://lnkd.in/eccsGHgX

A Response to "Head of FCC Rejects Donald Trump's Call to Revoke ABC Broadcast License" Dear Fellow Americans: I, today, support the FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel's decision to reject the call from Republican Presidential nominee Mr. Trump to revoke government's broadcast license from ABC on public record. The statement by Chairwoman Rosenworcel is as follows: "The First Amendment is a cornerstone to our democracy. The Commission does not revoke licenses for broadcast stations simply because of political candidate disagrees with or dislikes content or coverage. Our job at the agency is to license broadcast stations in a manner consistent with the Constitution and the Communications Act of 1934 as well as the rules and policies we have adopted pursuing of these laws. There are no exceptions." Based on the news this evening and under the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), her statement was sent to U.S. Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) and U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR). And, I, too, agree. Mr. Trump alleges that the September 10, 2024 debate with Vice President Harris was rigged. The United States Constitution and other provisions apply to all people, nations, and tribes, regardless if a person is likable or not. No former or sitting U.S. President or any member of the American judiciary has the authority to deny a person of his or her individual and constitutional rights under the local, state, federal or international laws. Also, the laws are neither abused for self-interests nor abandoned for wrongful prosecutions. This conclusion is certainly true under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The FCC to this end falls under "Free Speech." Thus, the critical question before all of us good faith voters today is: Will Mr. Trump allege that the U.S. Presidential Election on Tuesday, November 5, 2024 is rigged, if these certified results hand him a second loss? Responsible leadership is leadership by our examples. Let's move forward with 47 days left: #MUTETRUMP.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT … POTUS JOE BIDEN’S “STATE OF THE UNION” ADDRESS WAS A GAME-CHANGER. FINALLY, THE GLOVES ARE OFF. The good news from the NYT is that the Nielsen TV ratings for POTUS Joe Biden’s recent “State of the Union Address” went up +18%. The bad news is: 1) There are 161.2 million registered voters in America and only 32.2 million tuned in to watch (less than 20%); 2) The vast majority (74%) of viewers were over 55 years old; 3) The Nielsen numbers spanned 14 major cable and broadcast networks, but the ratings did not account for many younger Americans who might have tuned in via streaming TV platforms, online news sites and social media posts. That group is a growing share of the total media audiences, but there are no agreed-upon metrics to accurately measure online views. So, where are we at? Gen’s X, Y (aka "Millennials”), and Z’ers don’t really care, or they just don’t fully know or understand the issues, questions, and implications at hand? Much like their older (55+) and misguided MEGA Trump lunatics? I pray that neither is the case and that EVERYONE gets off their ass and votes in November. P.S. And I'll put "Women's Rights" to CHOICE here at home in the USA at the top of the list. 😎 https://lnkd.in/ewAGkKys.    

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#Politics is slowly taking a turn to direct access. The old guard methods cant see the writing on the wall. Staying relevant is going to require adding significant value or they will lose their gate keeping revenue generation capabilities. Prime time news viewing is down. Network stations like NBCUniversal, CBS, & ABC News viewership is down. Newspaper readership is down. Post Card response rates are down. Political ads will have a problem. It's a marketing problem that candidates like Jeff Jackson understand very well. Using social media to bypass the gatekeepers for direct, inexpensive, rapid access to their audience. This changes everything - the amount of money necessary to win an election, who you need on staff, and the way you campaign.

🧐 What does a second Trump presidency mean for US #PublicMedia? 💡 In our latest #Research Insight, Nik Usher from the University of San Diego looks into what we can learn from his previous term, and how the next term might shape up. It comes after a difficult few years for the sector, which has faced cuts, job losses, and shrinking audiences. On top of this, Trump's Project 2025 agenda proposes defunding public media. But is there hope? 💭 "Perhaps public media becomes the symbolic olive branch that Republican legislators get to wave given its popularity. Keeping public media alive might be an easy way to suggest that otherwise partisan legislators are acting in good faith to be bipartisan." Read their article in full ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/es9CxCMP

In business, when your customers stop buying what you are sellling, either restructure your company (with great management changes) or you go out of business. This will apply to the corrupt media.

This webinar will have a bit of a political lean, tis the season after all, but Beeswax clients interested in identity solutions range in their focus from auto, to retail, to entertainment, pharma, there's a use case for truly every vertical. Pumped to hear Xander lead this conversation with two superb & dynamic panelists. Sign up and tune in to collect the knowledge gems! (Link to register in comments below)

An excellent writeup of the state of public radio and the challenges it faces from Gabe Bullard of Nieman Reports. There is, however, an underlying assumption throughout the piece: That the only -- or at least primary -- function of public media is to create content. Once upon a time, there was a shortage of particular types of content, which is why public media had such an important role to play in America. But that's not the case anymore: "Daphne Kwon, NPR’s chief financial officer, said in a statement. 'There are simply more choices than ever for consumers both on platform and content which makes everything tougher for traditional media providers.'" Food for thought: What if public media has a larger role to play? What if Americans need something from public media that goes beyond content? Here's my contention: Americans need community. And public radio is exceptionally well-positioned to build it. But to do that, public radio will need to start thinking beyond content. #publicradio #publicmedia #communitybuilding