NAB Chief LeGeyt Urges Broadcasters to Partner on AI, Battling Misinformation
By Shahnoor Saqib
NAB Show Welcome session started with Shira Lazar, founder and CEO of What’s Trending, teasing the appearances of NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt, Nexstar Media Group Chairman Perry Sook and AI robot Ameca, among others.
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“She is ready to get into it with you all,” Lazar said of Ameca.
Sook saluted the nearly 1,300 companies at the show. “The NAB Show is all about storytelling, and broadcasters are the heart and soul of storytelling,” he said.
The industry “strives and thrives” on collaboration, Sook added, and NAB Show is a perfect opportunity for them to share ideas.
Adrienne Bankert, special projects anchor at NewsNation, sat with LeGeyt. LeGeyt spoke about what makes local broadcasters unique, including being in the communities they report on. That allows them “to report in a way that’s very relatable,” he said.
It is LeGeyt’s mission to help local broadcasters find the resources they need to successfully do their jobs, he said, battling against the likes of big tech and outdated regulations in Washington. “We’re delivering on that but we need to make sure that policymakers and regulators in Washington understand how rapidly the marketplace has evolved,” he said.
The topic of artificial intelligence came up, and LeGeyt said no company can master its many nuances on their own. “We need to share the best ideas,” he said.
LeGeyt called misinformation and disinformation “a massive, massive problem” and urged broadcasters to work together and “put democracy above the interests of any individual company.”
As much as he’s battling in the Beltway, LeGeyt said he learns the most about broadcasting outside of Washington. “When you go out and see the profound impact stations are having in communities day in and day out, that is inspirational for me,” he said.
He also spoke about recent victories for a legacy technology: AM radio. When automakers said they would remove AM from new automobiles, listeners fought back, addressing lawmakers directly and sharing their experience with the medium.
LeGeyt noted how Democrats and Republicans worked together on legislation designed to keep AM playing in automobiles. That prompted Bankert to say, “There’s hope in America, around AM radio, of all things.”
Bankert and LeGeyt stepped offstage, making room for Daniel Anstandig, CEO and co-founder, Futuri Media, and robot Ameca. “Our audiences are not only ready for AI, but they’re expecting us to use AI,” he said.
He shared a study that revealed how people trust in AI more as they learn more about it. “Humans and AI are actually better together,” he said. “Audiences expect that media companies are going to use AI.”
LeGeyt came back out to ask some questions, including one about whether AI could lead to job loss. Ameca brought up the invention of the calculator and asked who in the room wanted to return to the days of no calculators.
“New jobs will also be created” as a result of AI, Anstandig said.
Next up were Jack Goodman and Heidi Raphael, co-chairs of the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation, presenting the 2024 Insight Award to Soledad O’Brien, founder of Soledad O’Brien Productions and host of “Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien.”
“For decades, Soledad O’Brien has been a tireless truth-seeker,” Goodman said.
“She sheds light on some stories that matter the most,” Raphael said.
O’Brien mentioned her 37 years in television. “I feel so lucky and so grateful to have a rewarding career,” she said. “I do not take this responsibility of educating people about the stories that matter — I do not take that responsibility lightly.”
After the presentation, Michael Smith, president and CEO of Bravo Mic Communications, said LeGeyt’s words gave him confidence in broadcasting’s future. “I’m very optimistic about the future and very optimistic about what Curtis is doing on Capitol Hill,” he said. “He’s very articulate and engages people very well.”
Dedrick Russell, WBTV Charlotte executive producer of community content, was struck by Ameca’s appearance — and by O’Brien’s. “I still have questions about what [AI] means for job security,” he said.
He was pleased to see O’Brien, who he called an inspiring journalist, get the Insight Award. “Can Ameca replace Soledad?” he asked. “No