WASHINGTON—Rep. Gene Green (D-Texas) will be honored Feb. 27 for his “exemplary leadership and commitment” to strengthening the future of radio and TV and recognizing their importance to local communities by NAB with its inaugural Broadcast Champion Award during the NAB 2018 State Leadership Conference at the JW Marriott in Washington, D.C., the association announced today.
Gene Green
“Gene Green has been a steadfast champion of hometown radio and television broadcasters since he first came to Congress in 1993,” said NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith in a press release announcing the award. “He has a deep appreciation for the invaluable role local radio and television stations play in their communities.”
Green has been a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee since 1997 and worked on many issues of importance to broadcasters. On the House floor, Green has championed the role of broadcasters in their communities as “first informers” during emergencies.
He has been the lead Democratic co-sponsor of the Local Radio Freedom Act, which opposes a performance royalty on local broadcast radio stations for free, promotional music airplay. He also is the principal cosponsor of the Radio Consumer Protection Act, which would establish a fund to reimburse local radio stations impacted by the TV spectrum repack. Green also is an original cosponsor of the Viewer Protection Act, which would provide further funding to cover repack-related expensive so local TV stations.
“Our nation’s television and radio broadcasters are an important part of our day-to-day lives, providing Americans important news and weather coverage, entertainment and critical alerts during times of emergency, all free of charge,” Green is quoted as saying in the release.
More information is available on the NAB website.
