All right. Okay. Good afternoon everyone. So, um let's start my talk with a bit of groove I guess. Okay. So, let's start by talking about everyone here in this room to talk about you and me. So, there are two things I'm certain of of everyone in this room. The first thing is that each of us have a unique set of beliefs, concerns, interests, and jobs, right? And the second thing I'm concerned of, I'm certain of is that tonight when we go home and we take a shower, we want clean water to pour the taps. And we ...

Our goal and our obligation here is to make sure that broadcasters are serving the public interest. And if there's local TV stations that don't think that running that programming does it, then they have every right under the law in their contracts to preempt it. And we'll see how this plays out.But I do think that again, we are in the midst of a massive shift in dynamics in the media ecosystem for lots of reasons. Uh again, including the permission structure that President Trump's election has provided. An ...

Media Industry Dynamics - The media market is rationalizing, influenced by political events and changing viewer preferences [3] - Late-night television ratings have been declining for years, leading to questions about the financial viability of these programs [4] - Local TV stations are pushing back against national programmers, seeking more control over content to better serve their communities [6][17] - Trust in the media is at an all-time low, even lower than trust in Congress [21] - A shift is occurring where late-night shows are focusing more on "applause lines" (agreement) rather than humor, impacting their business model [10] Regulatory and Business Considerations - The FCC is focused on reinvigorating the enforcement of public interest obligations for broadcast TV [20] - Local broadcast stations have the right to preempt programming that doesn't meet the needs of their communities [16] - National programmers have been exercising significant control over local TV stations, but local broadcasters are now pushing back [17] - The sale of spectrum to AT&T (23 billion) and SpaceX (17 billion) is expected to unlock new innovations and improve connectivity [25] - The FCC determined that EchoStar met its buildout obligations, justifying the spectrum sale [32]

Broadcasting Landscape & Regulations - Broadcast TV faces declining viewership, impacting ratings across the board [1] - Broadcast TV operates under FCC license, mandating an obligation to serve the public interest, unlike cable shows, podcasts, and stand-up comedians [5][6] - FCC aims to empower local broadcasters with public interest obligations to counter national programmers' influence, promoting greater choice [8] Content & Control - Concerns arise over national programmers (ABC, Disney, Comcast, NBC) exerting excessive control over local TV stations, limiting local autonomy [7] - Local TV stations historically had the right to preempt programming deemed unsuitable for their communities, a practice now challenged by national programmers [7] - A significant moment is occurring as local broadcasters push back against national programmers, a rare event in modern history [7] Public Discourse & Offense - The issue at hand involves potentially misleading the American public about a significant political event, not merely comedic jokes targeting political figures [3] - The company (likely referring to the broadcaster) made a decision that certain content was beyond acceptable bounds [4]

Regulatory Landscape & Public Interest - Broadcast TV operates under a different regulatory framework than cable, podcasts, and stand-up comedy due to FCC licensing and the obligation to serve the public interest [5][6][11] - The FCC is focused on reinvigorating the enforcement of public interest obligations for broadcast TV licensees [11] - The FCC does not have a mandate to police speech in the name of the public interest on the internet [9][11] Content & Programming Control - Local TV stations are pushing back on national programmers (ABC, Disney, Comcast, NBC) regarding programming decisions, marking a significant moment in modern history [7][8][14] - Local broadcasters are seeking more power to preempt programming that doesn't meet the needs of their communities [7][8] - Sinclair, a local TV station owner, suspended Jimmy Kimmel's program and called for an apology and donation to Kirk's family and Turning Point USA [12][13] Media Trust & Public Perception - Trust in the media is at an all-time low, even lower than Congress [11][12] - The issue with Kimmel was appearing to directly mislead the American public about a significant political event [3]

Industry Perspective - Private companies prioritize profit when publishing economic data [1] - Government statistical agencies operate in the public interest [1]

Core Argument - The speech advocates for the necessity of quality and responsible (QR) journalism and its sustainability [1] - QR journalism is defined as a profession based on core values, ethics, fact-checking, and working for the public interest, not for governments, corporations, or ownerships [8][9] - The speaker emphasizes the importance of separating fact from opinion, providing evidence-based information, and analyzing situations in depth [8] Challenges and Threats - Journalism faces challenges related to social issues, economic issues, ideological influences, and education, including "ghosts from our past" [4] - Global risks include the rise of far-right extremism, the economic crisis after the pandemic, and disinformation [5] - Disinformation is identified as a huge global risk and a disruptive phenomenon, ranked as a top global risk in the 2024 Global Risk Report [5][14] - Authoritarian leaders suppress independent journalism and critical voices [13] Solutions and Recommendations - Media education is crucial for training critical thinking and responsible digital behavior, including checking and cross-checking information [15] - Individuals should support local newsrooms and freelance journalists who provide quality content by following them, reading their materials, criticizing their work, and donating if possible [16][17] - Awareness of AI and its potential to provide inaccurate information is important; information, especially academic titles, should be checked [17][18] - QR journalism is an essential benchmark for democracy and a valuable marker in a digital media ecosystem invaded by disinformation [12][13] Contextual Background - The speaker's personal experience growing up in a former communist country (Romania) highlights the importance of freedom of speech and independent journalism [2] - Romanian media is part of the European paradigm but faces specific challenges [3]

Epstein Files Release Demand - A group of 16 House Judiciary Committee Democrats, led by Congressman Jamie Raskin, urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to release Justice Department files mentioning Donald Trump related to Jeffrey Epstein [1] - The call for the release of Epstein files has been consistent, dating back to the Biden administration [2] - Multiple individuals, including Donald Trump, JD Vance, Dan Bonino, the FBI director, Cash Patel, and the attorney general, have publicly stated the information is of public interest and should be accessible [4] - The public believes a client list exists related to Epstein's activities [9] Potential Implications and Motivations - There are two possibilities: either Donald Trump and others are implicated and attempting a cover-up, or the initial claims were propaganda [4] - The delay in releasing the files raises suspicions of a cover-up [20] - Donald Trump may be withholding the information for coercive leverage against others [13] Call for Transparency and Investigation - Congressman Raskin plans to request Chairman Jordan to subpoena the attorney general, Dan Bonino, and Cash Patel to testify [14] - The demand is for the release of unfiltered, unredacted, and uncensored information [17] - The missing minute from the tape is a point of concern [12][17]