2020 Public Service Ascertainment Survey Due

TAB’s 2020 Public Service Survey launches Nov. 9 as we prepare to document once again the extraordinary service local Radio and TV stations provide their communities, no matter the challenge. The findings gleaned from the annual survey help power TAB’s advocacy before policymakers in Austin and Washington, DC, clearly distinguishing local broadcasters from recent entrants to the media marketplace.

Because the final report does not extrapolate for stations that do not respond, the more stations that participate, the more complete a picture TAB can provide lawmakers of the unique role broadcasters play in their communities.

Helping policymakers understand the full value of the service local stations provide is increasingly important as broadcasters press policymakers to even the competitive playing field with digital behemoths siphoning local ad dollars from Texas markets.

Introduced in 1998, the annual survey has since documented well more than $5 Billion in public service contributions by Texas broadcasters. In 2019, only 10 percent of Radio stations and 32 percent of TV stations responded, yielding a documented $96 million in public service contributions.