What Community Service?

WHAT COMMUNITY SERVICE?
On June 12, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) hosted the Service to America Awards Celebration. During the event, broadcasters will announce that they deliver $10.3 billion in community service. Using self-reported data from stations, the NAB attempts to put a value on the advertising time, promotion, and informational campaigns offered by local television and radio stations. But even thought more than three-quarters of U.S. adults rely on local TV news, according to a January 2006 Harris Poll, the NAB is unlikely to tout the service delivered by local television newscasts; the attached explains why.