By Wednesday, November 13, when the Harvard Club opens its doors to attendees of Forecast 2025, presented by Radio Ink and the Radio + Television Business Report, the 2024 election cycle will be over — though it may be some time before the results for the race for U.S. President are confirmed.
In the face of this uncertainty, the broadcast media community faces several challenges, concerns, and opportunities that center on a number of key questions. An esteemed panel of top broadcast attorneys and legal counsel will address these concerns at a Forecast panel featuring NAB Chief Legal Officer and EVP of Legal and Regulatory Affairs Rick Kaplan.
Kaplan spoke extensively with RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson earlier this year for the Spring 2024 RBR+TVBR magazine, in which he is featured on the cover. From multiple bills in Congress that could positively impact broadcast media to working with the FCC — both in and out of the federal court system — the NAB’s legal and regulatory affairs team has perhaps never been more active. Yet, don’t think for a minute Kaplan is overwhelmed. If anything, he is energized — even with multiple playbooks in place designed to drive forward the desires of AM, FM, UHF and VHF station owners across the U.S.
Of all of the matters his office is involved in today, the first Kaplan discussed are the AM radio efforts on Capitol Hill, which remain pending with weeks left in the current Congressional session. “That is obviously critical,” he believes. “Once you start to see auto manufacturers think about removing AM radio from the car, just think about what that does to the safety infrastructure of the country. The ability for AM radio stations to reach consumers has gained a lot of momentum, and understandably so.”
For television broadcasters, moving ATSC 3.0 adoption by television broadcasters forward is one of that sector’s biggest priorities for Kaplan’s legal team, he shares. This sees him working with the FCC to ensure that its Future of Television initiative is carried out. His No. 1 goal? To make sure “the Commission really steps on the gas and does whatever it can to pave the way for a smooth transition.”
He elaborates, “The industry is pushing something forward to stay competitive, and we’re not defending something. We’re trying to extend our boundaries, and that’s really exciting.”
The No. 1 issue for both radio and TV? The “various ownership issues” that are already playing out in the federal courts, Kaplan says. “These legacy ownership restrictions … you have to have a thick skin to read some of the stuff that really flies in the face of everything that everybody is seeing on the ground.”
More exclusive insights from Kaplan and his fellow panelists will come at a post-luncheon Forecast 2025 session during a daylong symposium on November 13, that culminates with the VIP Broadcast Leadership Reception.
Kaplan is joined on the panel “Signals of Change: What’s on the Docket for 2025” with David Donovan, President/Executive Director of the New York State Broadcasters Association; Robert Folliard, SVP/Government Relations & Distribution at Gray Media; and Chris Ornelas, EVP/General Counsel at Beasley Media Group.