WASHINGTON, DC -- The NAB Board of Directors met in Washington, DC this week. Below is a summary of the Board's actions:
JOINT BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CALL
TO ORDER
NAB Joint Board Chairman Jack Sander, senior advisor to Belo Corp.,
called the meeting to order. After a call of the roll, the minutes of
the January 2009 Board meeting were approved.
ELECTIONS
NAB Television Board First Vice Chair Lynn Beall, executive vice president
of Gannett Broadcasting, nominated Janet McGregor as secretary/treasurer.
Ms. McGregor's nomination was seconded by TV Board member Michael Fiorile,
vice chairman and CEO of Dispatch Broadcast Group, and passed unanimously
by the NAB Joint Board of Directors.
Buckley Radio COO Joe Bilotta nominated Commonwealth Broadcasting President and CEO Steve Newberry as NAB Joint Board Chairman. Mr. Newberry's nomination was seconded by Mr. Fiorile and passed unanimously by the NAB Joint Board of Directors.
Ms. McGregor was designated as the acting president and CEO of NAB.
REPORT
FROM JOINT BOARD CHAIR
Mr. Sander praised outgoing Board Members Peter Diaz, Brandon Burgess,
Deborah McDermott, Kevin Perry, David Woods and Bruce Reese. Mr. Sander
noted that Mr. Reese will continue his leadership within NAB as the
chair of NAB's presidential search committee.
Mr. Sander welcomed new Board Members Jerry Hanszen, Dave Hoxeng, Julie Koehn, Monte Loos, Mike Novak, David Field, Lew Dickey, Dana Withers, Brian Brady, Marci Burdick, Brian Lawlor, John Lawson, and Dunia Shive.
ACTING
PRESIDENT'S REPORT
Ms. McGregor briefed the Board on NAB's many on-going efforts, noting
the success of the recent NAB Show and NAB's advocacy efforts related
to the performance tax, a new fee sought by the Recording Industry Association
of America, and the Satellite Home Viewer Extension and Reauthorization
Act (SHVERA).
NAB
SHOW REPORT
NAB Executive Vice President of Conventions and Business Operations
Chris Brown provided a report to the Joint Board on the recent success
of the 2009 NAB Show. Mr. Brown noted that exhibitors were pleased with
their experience at this year's NAB Show and provided an early report
on efforts related to the 2010 NAB Show.
NAB
FINANCIAL REPORT
Ms. McGregor provided an update on NAB's finances.
FCC
UPDATE
NAB Executive Vice President of Legal and Regulatory Affairs Jane Mago
provided a brief overview of activities at the Federal Communications
Commission, noting upcoming changes in the agency's leadership.
CAPITOL
HILL UPDATE
NAB Executive Vice President of Government Relations Laurie Knight briefly
updated the Board on Capitol Hill activities related to the performance
tax and SHVERA. Ms. Knight noted that a bipartisan majority of House
lawmakers have co-sponsored the Local Radio Freedom Act, which expressly
opposes a performance tax on local radio stations.
DTV
TRANSITION
Jonathan Collegio, vice president of NAB's digital television transition
team, provided a brief overview of NAB activities related to the upcoming
DTV transition.
NABPAC
REPORT
NABPAC Chairman Larry Patrick, managing partner of Patrick Communications,
provided an update on the activities of NAB's political action committee.
Mr. Patrick urged members of the Board to contribute to the NABPAC.
NABEF NABEF President Marcellus Alexander updated the Board on NABEF activities and provided highlights from this week's NABEF Service to America Celebration.
NAB RADIO BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CALL
TO ORDER
NAB Radio Board Chairman Steve Newberry, president and CEO of Commonwealth
Broadcasting, called the meeting to order. After roll call the minutes
of the January Board meeting were accepted.
Emmis President of Programming Rick Cummings nominated Beasley Broadcasting Executive Vice President Caroline Beasley as Radio Board First Vice Chair. Ms. Beasley's nomination was seconded by Ben Downs, general manager of Bryan Broadcasting Corp., and approved unanimously by the NAB Radio Board.
Bustos Media President and CEO Amador Bustos nominated Tri-State Communications President and CEO Randy Gravley as NAB Radio Board Second Vice Chair. Mr. Gravley's nomination was seconded by Elko Broadcasting Communications President Paul Gardner and approved unanimously by the NAB Radio Board.
Emmis
Communications Senior Vice President John Beck nominated Mr. Cummings
as Major Group Representative, an NAB Executive Committee seat. Mr.
Cummings' nomination was seconded by Salem Communications CEO Ed Atsinger
and approved unanimously by the NAB Radio Board.
RADIO
MEMBERSHIP AND EVENTS REPORT
NAB Executive Vice President of Radio John David briefed the Radio Board
on current radio membership levels and highlighted several radio-related
activities. Mr. David and NAB Executive Vice President of Conventions
and Business Operations Chris Brown provided an overview of the upcoming
NAB Radio Show in Philadelphia. Mr. Newberry emphasized the importance
of supporting the NAB Radio Show, and urged members of the Radio Board
to send representatives from their companies to this year's event.
STREAMING
NAB Senior Vice President of Government Relations Mike Hershey gave
an overview of a recently negotiated settlement with SoundExchange regarding
fees for radio stations that stream music online. Mr. Hershey noted
that a vast majority of radio companies have signed on to NAB's agreement
with SoundExchange.
PERFORMANCE
TAX
NAB Executive Vice President of Government Relations Laurie Knight provided
a detailed report on government relations activities related to the
performance tax, legislation supported by the Recording Industry Association
of America, which would levy a new fee on local radio stations that
air music free to listeners. Ms. Knight noted that a bipartisan majority
of House lawmakers now stand in opposition to the RIAA-sought performance
tax.
NAB Executive Vice President of Media Relations Dennis Wharton provided a detailed report on the media relations activities related to the performance tax. Mr. Wharton highlighted several op-eds, editorials and letters to the editor published in opposition to the performance tax. Mr. Wharton juxtaposed the recording artists' continued praise for the promotional power of radio airplay with the continued lawsuits filed by recording artists seeking to recoup unpaid royalties from the record label. Mr. Wharton also noted that, if enacted, the new performance tax would direct more money into the coffers of record label companies than featured artists, and reminded Radio Board members that three of the four largest record label companies are headquartered outside the United States.
NAB Executive Vice President of Marketing Communications Michelle Lehman provided a detailed report on the marketing efforts related to the performance tax. Ms. Lehman played both a radio spot and television spot created in opposition to the performance tax and highlighted a recent campaign to place billboard-type advertisements in the Capitol South Metro Station. Ms. Lehman also showed several print advertisements placed by NAB in opposition to the performance tax and highlighted a recently-launched grassroots advocacy Web site, www.NoPerformanceTax.org.
LOW
POWER FM
Ms. Knight, NAB Executive Vice President of Legal and Regulatory Affairs
Jane Mago, and NAB Senior Vice President of Science and Technology Lynn
Claudy provided an update on activities related to low power FM. Ms.
Mago noted a recent court ruling that adjusts second adjacent-channel
protections, and Ms. Knight referenced an upcoming hearing related to
low power FM, at which Beasley Broadcast Group Executive Vice President
and CFO Caroline Beasley will testify.
RADIO
HEARD HERE
Ms. Lehman provided an update on activities related to the Radio Heard
Here campaign, noting that listeners were becoming increasingly familiar
with the campaign's messaging.
RADIO
MUSIC LICENSING COMMITTEE
Ms. Beasley updated the board on the continued efforts of the Radio
Music Licensing Committee.
HD
RADIO POWER INCREASE
Ms. Mago provided an update on several FCC activities, including a proposal
that would allow radio stations utilizing HD Radio technology to boost
their signal.
TECHNOLOGY
REPORT
Mr. Claudy updated the Radio Board on continued efforts to speed up
the adoption of FM receivers in wireless communication devices. Mr.
Claudy noted significant progress in recent months, pointing to several
FM-capable cell phones now available in the U.S.
Mr. Claudy also provided a detailed report on the Emergency Alert System and Common Alerting Protocol.
TELEVISION BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CALL
TO ACTION
Television Board Chairman Jim Yager, CEO of Barrington Broadcasting
Company called the Television Board to order. After a call of the roll,
minutes of the January Board meeting were approved.
ELECTIONS
Post-Newsweek Stations President and CEO Alan Frank nominated Meredith
Corporation President Paul Karpowicz as NAB Television Board Chairman.
Mr. Karpowicz's nomination was seconded by Gannett Broadcasting Executive
Vice President Lynn Beall and approved unanimously by the NAB Television
Board.
Media General Senior Vice President Jim Conshafter nominated Ms. Beall as Television Board First Vice Chair. Ms. Beall's nomination was seconded by News-Press and Gazette President John Kueneke and approved unanimously by the NAB Television Board.
Mr. Yager nominated Hearst Argyle President and CEO David Barrett as NAB Television Board Second Vice Chair. Mr. Barrett's nomination was seconded by Schurz Communications Senior Vice President Marci Burdick and approved unanimously by the NAB Television Board.
Mr. Yager noted that Doug Kranwinkle, executive vice president of Univision Communications, will assume the network executive seat on the NAB Executive Board.
SHVERA
NAB Executive Vice President of Government Relations Laurie Knight and
NAB Executive Vice President of Legal and Regulatory Affairs Jane Mago
briefed the TV Board on potential issues related to the Satellite Home
Viewer Extension and Reauthorization Act (SHVERA).
RETRANSMISSION
CONSENT
Mr. Frank, Ms. Knight and NAB Vice President of Research Sharon Warden
updated the TV Board on issues related to retransmission consent. Ms.
Warden noted a recent study commissioned by NAB which demonstrated the
minimal signal outages that occur as a result of retransmission consent
disputes.
DTV
TRANSISTION UPDATE
Jonathan Collegio, vice president of NAB's digital TV transition team,
updated the TV Board on NAB's educational campaign to inform all Americans
of the transition to digital TV.
FCC
UPDATE
Ms. Mago provided the TV Board with an update on FCC-related issues
including rules related to white space devices. Ms. Mago also outlined
future challenges and opportunities facing television broadcasters before
the FCC.
OPEN
MOBILE VIDEO COALITION
Anne Schelle, executive director of the Open Mobile Video Coaltion,
updated the board on continued efforts by OMVC to launch mobile DTV
services, noting several activities related to the most recent NAB Show
in Las Vegas.
MEMBERSHIP
AND ACTIVITIES
NAB Executive Vice President of Television Marcellus Alexander updated
the TV Board on membership levels and upcoming television activities.
About
NAB
The National Association of Broadcasters is the premier advocacy association
for America's broadcasters. As the voice of more than 8,300 radio and
television stations, NAB advances their interests in legislative, regulatory
and public affairs. Through advocacy, education and innovation, NAB enables
broadcasters to best serve their communities, strengthen their businesses
and seize new opportunities in the digital age. Learn more at www.nab.org.