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Executive Summary
Frank Wright, Ph.D., President/CEO February 5, 2010 Yesterday morning, President Barack Obama spoke to the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C., giving an address that was broadcast on multiple news channels. During the speech he did not shy away from political statements, and generally appealed to those gathered for a return to “civility” in public discourse. He cited his own faith, candidly stating that he has been “praying a lot” lately. In very general terms, I agree with the President’s remarks regarding civility. It is critically important for those in positions of power – both in politics and in the media – to be able to present their views in a way that is both winsome and truthful. That’s a difficult but important balance. Every Believer should be willing to speak the truth, in season and out of season, and speak that truth in love. At the same time, the rub comes when one tries to define civility. There’s a point at which the unvarnished truth is going to be offensive to someone, a challenge faced by ministers of the Gospel every single day. Scripture clearly states that there is only one way to Christ, eschewing the syncretistic tendencies that are so popular today in our tolerant-enamored culture. Given those complex realities, the role of religious broadcasters can be particularly difficult. We must never sacrifice truth, yet we should refrain from being shrill. We must be willing to walk the unpopular road of calling out sin (both inside and outside of the Church), but we must never forget that we are all fallen men and women, and every person is in desperate need of love, compassion, and mercy. The dichotomies are fraught with opportunities to err on one extreme or the other, especially as the next national election cycle draws near. Here at NRB, we are constantly evaluating these issues in light of our mission: to keep the doors of electronic media open for the spread of the Gospel of Christ. Our involvement in the nation’s capital is inherent in that purpose. We cannot shy away from, or ignore, the political and legislative side of Capitol Hill or the White House. Many laws that are considered by the House and Senate would have a direct bearing on the ability of religious broadcasters to speak truth, speak freely, or both. In the months ahead, we will most likely be dealing with the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), just as we had to address the issue of hate crimes legislation last year. On the Executive side of things, we’re keeping a careful eye on the FCC’s broadband plan, because the President and his advisors have enormous potential to influence legislation and the direction of our nation. Since time has proven that the price of liberty truly is eternal vigilance, we must stay engaged in every policy arena in Washington in a very tangible way. At the same time, our association recognizes the responsibility that we have to work across all political lines. The NRB does not work “for” or “against” any political party; rather we evaluate legislation in light of our association’s mission. I recall that my first meeting on Capitol Hill, after being named President at NRB, was with a very prominent, liberal House Democrat. Not only did he receive me graciously, but this Member of Congress was also excited to tell me how fond he was of listening to a particular NRB member who had a daily radio show in the D.C. area. This man’s political reach and ability to influence legislation were (and still are) great. Clearly, it is important to reach out to Members of Congress and dialogue on legislative issues. At the same time, we can never lose sight of the fact that ultimately, the most important thing is the state of a person’s soul. So regardless of whether or not I agree with President Obama’s comments at yesterday’s prayer breakfast, I appreciate the fact that he participated in the event. Many left-leaning groups had asked him to boycott the prayer breakfast; he did not. As religious broadcasters, we, too, have a responsibility to show up, so to speak, in the midst of the politically difficult days ahead. Some might suggest that we boycott politics because it detracts from the Word of God. I disagree wholeheartedly. As religious broadcasters, we must continue to speak the truth, but with Christ-likeness. Just as the Apostle Paul spoke the truth in a way that could be understood by the men and women who did not speak the proverbial language of orthodox Judaism, so we must speak in ways that will strike a chord with those who don’t speak our language – not with the goal of pleasing men, but with a firm conviction and heart motivation that will please God. Please pray for us as we continue to walk many fine lines here in Washington, D.C. NRB remains committed to standing firm in the midst of intense political wrangling, for the purpose of keeping the doors of all electronic media open for the spread of the Gospel of Christ. That is not an easy task. It is costly in terms of money, time, and talent, so we greatly appreciate your prayers for NRB’s leadership and staff as we forge into the months ahead. The President's Column was prepared with the valuable research and writing assistance of Laurel A. MacLeod. Panelists at FCC Meeting Call for More Big Government The FCC held a two-panel workshop titled “Minority Media Ownership” on Wednesday, January 27th. The meetings revolved around the topic of increasing broadcast station ownership among women and minorities. NRB always supports that concept, especially when it involves Christian stations. The questions addressed in the meeting also included whether or not minority populations were being properly reached via public licensees, etc. While many of the panelists offered thorough testimony, more than a few had a rather “big government” tone – pushing for more regulation to be placed on station owners. One case in point was Howard University Associate Professor Carolyn Byerly, who stated that the loss of news and public affairs programs was a direct result of deregulation at the FCC. She said that the FCC’s removal of the “14 Points for Defining Public Interest” (established in the 1960’s) has hurt minority communities. Professor Byerly then suggested that the Commission reinstate the 14 Points and increase public affairs logs. She also said that more scrutiny and more public interest obligations were needed, and that she would opt to move the now 8-year license renewal back to three years. Many in the industry, however, would argue just the opposite, citing the increased abilities of communications tools. These new tools have unleashed a whole new set of mechanisms that allow broadcasters and others to reach out to communities in more targeted ways than was possible 20 or 30 years ago.
One of the panelists at the FCC meeting also suggested that broadcasters were given licenses for free, but as NRB’s Vice President of Government Relations Bob Powers pointed out, they didn’t address the millions of dollars required to keep station owners on the air, both in money and time spent meeting present public interest obligations. Powers stated: “It’s alarming to many broadcasters to hear that some scholars believe more regulations need to be placed on station owners, when they already do so much. With regard to public interest, I think one can safely say that no one meets more public interest obligations than Christian stations. We are all about serving our local communities, in particular the very important spiritual needs of our communities.”
For more information about the January 27th meeting, log on to www.fcc.gov. NRB will closely monitor any outcomes resulting from last week’s meeting, keeping our broadcast members up to date and informed. |
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 The Inside Story: Key Government Issues for Christian Communicators
Washington Whispers
 National Religious Broadcasters
9510 Technology Dr. Manassas, VA 20110 p. 703.330.7000 f. 703.330.7100 www.nrb.org ©2009 National Religious Broadcasters All Rights Reserved |
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