Chairman Pai Commends Broadcasters' Coronavirus Response

RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, March 18, 2020 | 12:03pm CT

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai held a conference call on Monday with radio and television broadcasters and broadcaster trade associations to thank them for their efforts to educate the American people about the coronavirus pandemic and discuss additional ways that broadcasters can help Americans stay safe and informed during the coronavirus outbreak.

"I'm grateful for the steps that broadcasters are taking to inform the American people about this pandemic and to educate them about the steps they can take to protect themselves and slow the spread of the virus," said Chairman Pai. "Going forward, I urged them to air public service announcements featuring prominent entertainment and sports personalities, and local news anchors asking Americans to practice the social distancing that is needed to combat this pandemic. We need this vital message to be delivered by Americans who are familiar to different segments of our society, and broadcasters are ideally situated to the task."

During the call, Chairman Pai specifically thanked the National Association of Broadcasters for making available a Coronavirus Response Toolkit to radio and television stations and sharing coronavirus-related public service announcements with them, and Spanish-language broadcasters for conveying important information in Spanish.