Curtis Leyget, president of the National Association of Broadcasters, is no fan of government pressure on the media to cover stories a certain way – and says it has come “from both parties.”
In a blog post published Sunday on the NAB’s site, LeGeyt, who has led the trade group since 2022, addressed the Jimmy Kimmel controversy for the first time since “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” was suspended indefinitely by ABC over his comments about Charlie Kirk’s assassin.
“The controversy surrounding ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!‘ has sparked understandable questions about broadcasters’ First Amendment rights and the influence of those in power. This is an unprecedented time in media history and moments like this demand a direct conversation about what is at stake,” writes LeGeyt, who was senior counsel for Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont before joining NAB in 2011.
“Let me first state affirmatively that broadcasters must be able to make decisions about the content on our airwaves free from government influence,” LeGeyt writes. “The First Amendment affords our stations — and all Americans — this fundamental right, and the mere perception that broadcasters acted because of undue pressure is a problem for our credibility and the trust we have built with our audiences.
Unfortunately, government pressure on media to cover events in a particular way is not new and it has come from both political parties. During the Obama administration, journalists decried the use of the Espionage Act to investigate reporters and demand their confidential sources. Under the Biden administration, reporters faced growing barriers to access, and local affiliate stations were targeted based on the actions of cable news networks. Today, we continue to see veiled threats suggesting broadcasters should be penalized for airing content that is contrary to a particular point of view.”
LeGeyt states that each of those attempts “were wrong then, and they are wrong now.”
“The First Amendment makes clear that broadcasters — not the government — bear the responsibility for editorial decisions,” he writes. “Local radio and television stations take this obligation seriously, working every day to reflect the unique and diverse needs of our communities, especially on sensitive issues. This is what makes local stations the most trusted sources of information. Ultimately, broadcasters are accountable to the viewers and listeners we serve.”
LeGeyt also addressed the market disruption challenges that broadcasters are facing from Big Tech; the efforts NAB is making to “ensure broadcasters have the scale to compete with national and global behemoths”; and its continued investment in local newsrooms and programming.
“But all of that is futile if we cannot fulfill our most sacred responsibility: reporting to our communities without fear of government retribution,” LeGeyt writes in the annual First Amendment Day address. “Because without it, everything else falls away.”
Read the entire blog post here.
