Local commercial TV and radio broadcasters create $1.24...

Local commercial TV and radio broadcasters create $1.24 trillion of the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) and 2.65 million jobs annually, said a study this month by Woods & Poole Economics and BIA/Kelsey, released by NAB as part of its state leadership conference (http://bit.ly/1cIS6SX). The study analyzed local broadcasting and didn’t include noncommercial radio and TV or broadcast networks, except for network owned-and-operated stations, the study said. Employment data used in the study is from 2012,the study said. Local broadcasting also has a “ripple effect” on other industries through the goods and services consumed by broadcasting employees of “over $138 billion in GDP and more than 856,000 jobs,” the study said. “Broadcasting’s largest impact on the American economy stems from its role as a forum for advertising of goods and services that stimulates economic activity,” said NAB. Local TV and radio advertising generated $1.05 trillion and supported 1.48 million jobs, the study said.