NAB Fears 'Distruptuons' From Geocasting

The National Association of Broadcasters has issues with the FCC approval of Zonecasting by broadcast stations. Here's the latest:

The FCC has unanimously approved changes to its rules that allow FM booster stations to originate programming. This approval allows radio stations to begin offering “ZoneCasting,” a hyperlocal service developed by GeoBroadcast Solutions (GBS). The service requires program origination on an FM booster for it to work, and it’s currently voluntary for broadcasters.

ZoneCasting allows radio stations to “split” their signal for certain parts of an hour, offering localized content such as news, sports, traffic, and weather. It’s seen as a solution for addressable advertising, catering to marketers and media planners. For the first time, commercially licensed FM signals can be localized, allowing broadcasters to engage with their listeners on a more personal level.

However, there has been opposition to ZoneCasting. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) and other large radio broadcasting companies have raised concerns. They argue that it could create service disruptions, including interference with the National Emergency Alert System (EAS). Despite this, the FCC approved the proposal unanimously.

Among concerns: The NAB contends that introducing ZoneCasting could potentially disadvantage smaller radio stations. They argue that larger stations in central markets could use this technology to capture local advertising business from smaller stations located on the periphery. This shift could lead to a reduction in advertising rates and even facilitate the redlining of advertising away from less affluent areas.

GBS, the developer of ZoneCasting, maintains that any signal disruption is minimal and does not significantly impact the listener experience.

Other supporters content ZoneCasting represents a significant advancement in targeted and community-centric radio broadcasting, allowing stations to deliver hyper-local content to their immediate communities.