Station GMs should brace for grassroots lobbying efforts

posted on 3.13.2017

 - Heed TAB calls to action!

With the state legislative session now at the midpoint where the regular bill filing deadline has passed and committee hearings are ramping up, station GMs should be prepared to call on their lawmakers when TAB asks to ensure legislators understand the importance of these issues to constituent Radio and TV stations and the communities we serve.

TAB has undertaken an aggressive agenda of bills in concert with newspaper publishers to correct a number of recent court rulings that significantly undermine Open Government laws and hinder local journalists’ ability to report on expenditure of tax dollars and other matters of public concern. (See next story in this issue.)

Similarly, federal tax and copyright reform efforts in Washington, DC could pose significant threats to the livelihoods of stations’ clients and communities, so GMs need to be prepared to weigh in with their Members of Congress at a moment’s notice.

TAB Call to Action

When TAB issues a “call to action” by email, we are targeting broadcasters according to the key lawmakers involved in the issue at a given moment.  It may be a committee hearing or a floor vote in the Senate or House.

Lawmakers need to hear from their constituent broadcasters, and TAB is careful not to overwhelm individual offices with calls or emails from stations far outside a lawmaker’s district. In cases where we know a broadcaster has a close relationship with a lawmaker serving a market where the GM previously worked, we’ll call on that individual to weigh in, too.

Bottom line…TAB doesn’t issue a “call to action” lightly, and when we do issue one we provide talking points to help you state your case or counter opposing arguments.

So make sure your spam filters are set to accept TAB emails and when you see that email pop up, please take time to read it, act on it, and report back to TAB.

That’s been our recipe for success in the past, and it remains so.

Remember our advocacy mantra: “TAB can help lawmakers understand an issue, but only YOU can make them care!”

Questions? Contact TAB’s Oscar Rodriguez or call (512) 322-9944.

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