Transcript [00:00] Troy Miller is a new friend of the show [00:03] this year wonderful guy who we talked to [00:05] at the beginning of the year and then [00:06] talked about the nrb down there in [00:08] Nashville we've gotten to know each [00:09] other he is the CEO of the nrb that's [00:11] the National Religious broadcasters he's [00:14] the president there and he he when we [00:16] talked he said why don't you come to [00:18] Nashville and see this thing I said okay [00:20] so we went down there to do the show I [00:22] was enamored with the whole presentation [00:25] so much so I'm already talking about [00:26] going back to Dallas where the [00:28] convention will be next year already [00:30] and uh Troy joins us again he just got [00:32] back from Las Vegas where there was [00:35] another huge Convention of broadcasters [00:38] they gather out there every year for [00:39] What's called the NAB the National [00:42] Association of broadcasters some of my [00:44] colleagues some of my digital team went [00:45] out there and said that it's just [00:48] unbelievable like football fields of you [00:51] know digital equipment and people kind [00:53] of talking about the new industry [00:54] standard and Troy I'm glad to have you [00:56] back good morning good morning Chris [00:58] thanks for having me you bet what do you [01:00] learn when you go to these conventions [01:02] because I know there's a subject that's [01:04] on the minds of a lot of us in in radio [01:06] broadcasting right now and that's the [01:08] future specifically of AM radio does [01:10] that come up much when you travel I know [01:13] it does at the nrb how about the NAB out [01:15] there in Vegas yeah it was a pretty key [01:18] topic out of Na as well it was a part of [01:21] Curtis Legette he is the CEO and [01:23] president of the NAB and his address was [01:26] specifically to talk about AM radio and [01:29] both organiz ations are working hard to [01:31] get what's called am in the dash a bill [01:34] running through Congress right now [01:36] passed what's holding that up exactly [01:38] because we've been talking about it for [01:40] a while what's the status do we know [01:42] yeah we're pretty close now to having 60 [01:45] co-sponsors in the Senate and that would [01:47] make the bill filibuster proof so so [01:51] we're looking at getting that passed we [01:52] really think in the next couple of weeks [01:54] Curtis said this and we believe the same [01:56] thing with our contacts up on Capitol [01:58] Hill that we'll probably pass that [02:00] threshold here by the middle of May [02:02] before Congress maybe gets their summer [02:04] Breakin and and through the Senate and [02:06] also Kathy MC Morris Rogers who heads up [02:09] the Commerce and energy Committee in the [02:11] house has agreed to hold a hearing on [02:13] this on April 30th so the bill is moving [02:16] forward and we're pretty optimistic that [02:18] we're going to get it signed and passed [02:20] in this Congress so has it has it passed [02:22] out of the house already or it has not [02:24] been brought up for a vote in the house [02:25] yet it it has not been brought up for a [02:27] vote in the house yet but this bill is [02:30] kind of funny it's created some strange [02:33] bed fellows Kathy McMorris Rogers who [02:35] heads up that committee along with her [02:38] Democratic counterpart have both [02:40] sponsored the bill so and the same thing [02:42] on the Senate side we have both Democrat [02:44] and Republican sponsorship so it's a [02:46] it's a pretty strong bipartisan support [02:49] for AM radio and the dash we just need [02:52] to get it through as you know the house [02:54] has been struggling with some uh uh [02:56] foreign aid bills and some other things [02:58] that are that are going through I think [02:59] as soon soon as those pass we'll get [03:01] some attention on AM radio Troy Miller [03:04] the president CEO of the National [03:06] Religious broadcasters just got back [03:07] from the National Association of [03:09] broadcasters so the discussion about AM [03:10] radio and I guess you know look I'm a [03:12] free market guy and a lot of [03:14] conservative free market types are [03:15] listening to this show right now and [03:16] they say to you Troy I don't I don't [03:18] know how I feel about government [03:20] mandating that car manufacturers keep a [03:23] product in the car what would you say to [03:26] that well I would say that normally [03:29] we're that way as well but the [03:30] government also plays a role in making [03:32] sure there's a fair playing field in in [03:34] the market in the free market and this [03:37] bill isn't just about AM radio in the [03:39] dash as if sort of AM radio was some [03:42] archaic media that was going by the [03:45] wayside AM radio has a huge listenership [03:48] across this country it reaches both [03:50] rural and urban communities rural [03:53] communities of course depend on AM radio [03:55] because this frequency has a a much [03:57] farther reach it's a clear signal the [04:00] emergency alert system is almost [04:03] entirely dependent upon AM radio anybody [04:06] who's been out in the Midwest and [04:07] Tornado Alley or anywhere where there's [04:09] been any major storms hurricanes come [04:12] through know that you know your cell [04:13] tower functions go down but AM radio [04:16] cuts through all that and that's where [04:17] you get your information so the key here [04:20] was the fact that this was not about [04:22] sort of free enterprise this was about [04:25] winners and losers trying to control [04:28] what you listen into your car and and [04:30] the ability for people to still get free [04:34] overthe a information and that and [04:36] that's what we've explained to Congress [04:38] and Congress has stepped up and said [04:39] yeah we get that yeah it is interesting [04:41] that there's a bipartisan agreement on [04:43] that too and and Troy the the the thing [04:45] about car manufacturers not keeping it [04:48] in there do you know why have they said [04:51] ex exactly what it is that I mean some [04:54] people suggested oh it's politics you [04:56] know it's a it's a bunch of people that [04:57] hate conservatives and conservative [04:59] radio which is largely found on am and [05:00] so it's a political thing I to to my [05:03] understanding it's actually not that [05:05] there's been some kind of I don't know [05:08] studies or cost cutting or whatever auto [05:10] manufacturers decided to start pulling [05:12] this element out for some other [05:13] manufacturing reason is that your [05:15] understanding well that was the [05:17] original you know reasons that were [05:19] given was that especially with the new [05:22] hybrid cars and electric cars is that [05:24] there was interference that would be [05:26] caused in in there and so you know this [05:29] was going to be a sort of burdensome you [05:32] know engineering thing to do actually [05:34] the government Accounting Office came [05:36] back did a study and said you know this [05:39] is a a minor Shield it's a $39 $40 part [05:43] to put in the car when you look at the [05:44] total price of a car in in the tens of [05:47] thousands of dollars that's minuscule to [05:49] the to the bottom line for the company [05:51] so what it really came down to and what [05:54] we talked about at NAB and nrb is it's [05:57] What's called the connected car and this [05:59] is about who controls the information [06:02] that's comes through your dashboard and [06:04] so the new cars as you know all have [06:06] these wonderful displays in them uh you [06:08] can get internet in your car and the [06:11] Really the sorry the automakers want to [06:14] be able to control who gets that [06:16] information because they want you to [06:18] subscribe to it not get it free over the [06:20] air yeah that's I think really that's [06:23] what drive so much of this is that [06:24] subscription based stuff because you [06:27] know quite frankly satellite radio is in [06:28] partnership with a lot of auto [06:29] manufacturers too there's financial gain [06:32] there to force drivers to to subscribe [06:34] to audio which you know I know they [06:35] don't necessarily have to do but [06:37] everything it's just like television you [06:39] know it's going the same way everybody [06:41] wants to subscribe subscribe subscribe [06:43] rather than watch free over the year [06:45] television so you know radio's going [06:47] through that same battle so you're [06:48] optimistic though ultimately Troy Miller [06:50] president of the National Religious [06:52] broadcasters that this passes through [06:53] Congress that means Biden has to sign it [06:56] indication that he would yeah I think [06:58] there is a a good indication that he [07:00] would a very large portion of the Latin [07:03] of Spanish Community gets their [07:05] information Latin is the second or third [07:07] largest genre on AM radio and I think go [07:10] back to your satellite thing for a [07:11] minute you know that that that's a key [07:14] point there because satellite has never [07:15] taken off really in the car it was [07:17] supposed to come around and and really [07:20] kill radio terrestrial radio but the the [07:23] fact that the automakers want to take [07:25] satellite didn't do that because people [07:27] have a choice they have a choice to [07:28] either tune into to their dial free or [07:30] get the subscription what the automakers [07:32] want to do is take that choice away from [07:34] you by taking am out of the car and [07:37] that's what this legislation wants to [07:39] ensure that you have the choice to have [07:41] an AM radio still in your car so you [07:43] don't have to only get their [07:46] subscription you can get the free radio [07:48] across this country that's been serving [07:50] people now for for over 150 years and [07:54] and that's the point we're trying to [07:55] make that people want to have and [07:57] deserve to have that choice [08:00] Troy Miller is president of the National [08:01] Religious broadcasters just back from [08:03] Vegas and the National Association of [08:04] broadcasters it's been great to catch up [08:06] Troy I hope we can do it again very soon [08:08] thanks for your visit today thanks Chris [08:11] for having me
