NAB Slams California Newsroom Deal, Calls for JCPA

California's public-private agreement with Google for funding news publishers (see 2408220039) undercompensates journalists and doesn’t address all the tech companies benefiting from news content, said NAB in a blog post Wednesday. “This is another missed opportunity for meaningful progress and a reminder of Big Tech’s continued unchecked dominance,” it said. The deal “makes abundantly clear that the need for federal action is now more urgent than ever,” and calls for Congress to pass the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act (JCPA). “It’s ironic that while this deal offers AI accelerator funds, it ignores the fact that Big Tech-backed AI platforms continue to ingest and profit from local news content without proper compensation or permission,” NAB said. “News is costly to produce, and stations invest significant resources to keep reporters in their local communities,” NAB said. “The business practices of the tech giants prevent local stations from recouping their investment in local journalism, as these platforms exert enormous influence over what online content is eligible to be monetized.” Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D), who announced the agreement, didn’t comment.