Broadcasters told to stand firm against Internet competition

National Association of Broadcasters President and CEO Gordon Smith, in his state of the industry address Monday, attempted to rally his troops against their common enemy -- innovation companies that stream broadcast content online.

Smith referenced the ongoing battle over copyright enforcement on the Internet and the Stop Online Piracy Act legislation pending in Congress, telling the audience of about 300 that Internet companies have successfully shifted the argument from prevention of theft of content to a campaign to prevent Web censorship.

He pledged that the NAB will continue to advocate for the industry against competitors -- Internet companies -- that are "ruthless and very then-financed."

The audience to remember

Smith urged the audience to remember , "We have what everyone else wants" in the form of content for broadcast or transmission over the Internet.

Until Wednesday evening, nearly 100,000 broadcast industry professionals will fill the Las Vegas Convention Center as they learn about the latest trends and view the newest research available.

Wharton said the show's numbers are up because "our business tends to be on the front edge of a recovery and at the front edge of a decline."

Startup loft

A "startup loft," where new companies are showcased, and a cloud computing pavilion are new to the convention this year.

" We want to catch people in a mobile world," Wharton said. "This is not your father's TV or radio business ... we have to evolve and adapt to new competitors and new research at an ever-expanding pace."