NAB Backs Renomination

The NAB has endorsed the renomination of FCC Chairman Kevin Martin.

Martin, whose current term ended June 30, had his nomination hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee Tuesday.

Although Martin has pushed an indecency enforcement regime that has angered and confused some broadcasters, he also went to bat for them on the key issues of multicasting must-carry and ownership deregulation.

But during the hearing, Martin conceded he had some concerns over media consolidation, and no immediate plans to bring multicasting must-carry up for a vote again. He pulled the item after failing to secure his new Republican majority, and said he still doesn't have the votes.

NAB President David Rehr had nothing but praise for Martin, saying "broadcasters applaud the great job and balanced approach that the chairman has taken on public policy regulatory issues."

NAB also backed the nomination of John Kneuer (pronounced "newer") as head of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, which will be administering the digital-to-analog subsidy program to keep broadcast-only analog sets working in the digital age.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.