Remarks of FCC Commissioner Pai to the National Religious Broadcasters' President's Council

Religious broadcasters helped lead the effort to relegate the Fairness Doctrine to the ash heap of history. And during my time at the Federal Communications Commission, I have appreciated the fellowship of the National Religious Broadcasters as we have worked together to protect freedom.

These are trying times for broadcasters at the FCC. I hear the complaints privately from broadcasters of all stripes: commercial, public, and religious. They believe that the current FCC just doesn’t value the service that broadcasters provide to their communities. They don’t feel that the Commission has an open mind when it hears broadcasters’ arguments. And when I see some of the proposals that come across my desk, I do sometimes find myself wondering: Is this all a test by the FCC to see if broadcasters have the patience of Job? Shifting gears, I would like to address another timely topic: AM radio revitalization. Three years ago, I proposed that the FCC launch an initiative to revitalize the AM band. The response to that idea was remarkable. Broadcasters, civil rights organizations, Democrats, Republicans, and Americans across the country jointly called on the FCC to take action. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have ideas for what the FCC should be (or should not be) doing. I always enjoy hearing from your organization and look forward to continuing to work with you in the future.