WASHINGTON, DC – The National Association of Broadcasters Board of Directors met on January 23 - 24 in Washington, DC. Below is a summary of actions.
NAB JOINT BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PROCEDURAL MATTERS
Joint Board of Directors Chairman Bruce Reese, President and CEO, Bonneville International, called the NAB Joint Board to order. The Board approved the minutes of November Board meeting and Executive Committee actions since November.
ASSOCIATION STATUS REPORT
Mr. Reese thanked all Board members for their time and efforts on behalf of NAB and recognized for special appreciation Jerry Hanszen, Jerry Lee and Gunther Meisse of the Radio Board, who are leaving the Board. Reese also thanked Andrew Fisher for his longtime service to the NAB Executive Committee. A formal resolution was then passed recognizing Mr. Fisher's contributions to NAB. Mr. Reese also reviewed a number of accomplishments since the previous Board meeting in November.
PRESIDENT'S REPORT
NAB President and CEO David Rehr reviewed his first year at NAB and outlined recent staff hires, including the creation of a four-person DTV Transition Team, to better position the association and bring added value to membership.
Mr. Rehr also informed the Board that Michael Williams has been hired as NAB's Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Williams held similar positions with both the Recording Industry Association of America and the Motion Picture Association of America.
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
Laurie Knight, SVP of Government Relations, Kelly Cole, VP of Government Relations and Mike Mullen, director of Government Relations, briefed the Board on the makeup of the new Congress and the legislative issues facing NAB.
LEGAL AND REGULATORY UPDATE
Marsha MacBride, EVP, Legal and Regulatory Affairs, briefed the Board on issues related to the FCC media ownership proceeding and the status of indecency lawsuits.
NABPAC UPDATE
Mr. Rehr provided an update to the Board involving the activities and contribution levels of the NAB Political Action Committee and recommended increased support from the Board and NAB membership.
NABEF
NABEF President Marcellus Alexander briefed the Board on recent activities of the NAB Education Foundation. Mr. Alexander encouraged Board members to attend the upcoming Service to America Summit on June 11, which will honor Sir Elton John for his contributions and efforts related to HIV and AIDS awareness.
NAB2007
Chris Brown, EVP, Conventions & Business Operations, provided an update on activities related to NAB's upcoming spring convention.
PROPOSED BUDGET
Mary Dickson, SVP, Finance and Administration, briefed the board on NAB finances and the proposed budget for 2007/2008.
TECHNOLOGY REVIEW FROM CES
Lynn Claudy, SVP, Science & Technology, provided highlights of new technologies and products on display at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
NAB RADIO OF DIRECTORS
CALL TO ORDER
Radio Board Chairman David J. Field, President and CEO, Entercom Communications Corporation, called the meeting to order. After a call of the roll, minutes from the November Board meeting were approved.
RADIO PRIORITIES PROGRESS REPORT
Mr. Rehr provided an update on NAB staff efforts to implement the priorities set by the NAB Radio Board.
AM/FM TRANSLATORS
Jane Mago, SVP and General Counsel, and Radio Board Member Gunther Meisse, president, WVNO/WRGM Radio and WMFD & WOHZ Television, briefed the Board on the status of NAB's petition for rulemaking at the FCC seeking permission for AM radio stations to use FM translators.
HD RADIO
iBiquity President and CEO Robert Struble provided an update to the Board on the rapid rollout of HD Radio, the increase in HD Radio receiver models and prospects for future HD Radio devices in automobiles.
HD RADIO TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENT
NAB Radio Board Member Caroline Beasley, executive vice president and CFO, Beasley Broadcast Group addressed the Board on the advancement of HD Radio.
RESTRICTIONS ON STREAMING COMMERCIALS
NAB Radio Board Member Jerry Lee, president, WBEB FM Radio briefed the Board on issues related to the Internet streaming of commercials.
NAB TELEVISION BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CALL TO ORDER
NAB Board Chair Alan Frank, President, Post-Newsweek Stations, Inc. called the Television Board to order. After a call of the roll, minutes of the November Board meeting were approved.
TELEVISION DEPARTMENT ACTIVITIES
Marcellus Alexander, EVP, Television briefed the board on current membership totals and activities of the Television Department. He urged Board members to consider attending the upcoming NAB Futures Summit March 18-20 at the Inn at Spanish Bay in Pebble Beach, Ca. and other activities.
SMALL MARKET ROUNDTABLE & EXCHANGE REPORT
Board member Madelyn Bonnot Griffin gave a report on activities being prepared for the Small Market Roundtable & Exchange, which will be held in Austin, Texas Sept. 27-29. Ms. Bonnot Griffin, who co-chairs the event along with Board member Liz Burns, reported a 100% satisfaction rate from last year's event attendees.
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
Doug Wiley, EVP of Government Relations, Laurie Knight, SVP of Government Relations and Kelly Cole, VP of Government Relations briefed the board on issues related to retransmission consent, EchoStar and the NFL's sideline-camera policy.
LEGAL
Marsha MacBride, EVP, Legal and Regulatory Affairs briefed the Board on matters dealing with retransmission consent, TV violence, video news releases and the DTV transition.
TV/RADIO ARCHITECTURE PROJECT
TV Board Member Paul Karpowicz, President, Meredith Corporation Broadcasting Group, introduced TVB President Chris Rohrs, who outlined a proposal to increase "e-business" initiatives in broadcasting.
DTV TRANSITION
Jonathan Collegio, VP, DTV Transition introduced the DTV Transition Team and briefed the Board on NAB's planned education and outreach related to the transition to DTV.
About NAB
The National Association of Broadcasters is a trade association that advocates on behalf of more than 8,300 free, local radio and television stations and also broadcast networks before Congress, the Federal Communications Commission and the Courts. Information about NAB can be found at www.nab.org.
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