FCC's Pai Teed Up for NAB Address

FCC chairman Ajit Pai will speak to attendees at the National Association of Broadcasters convention in Las Vegas, the trade group said Monday.

Pai, who took over the chairmanship Jan. 23, will address a general session April 25.

“We know from his tenure as FCC commissioner that Ajit Pai believes deeply in the value of free and local broadcasting,” said NAB president Gordon Smith. “Chairman Pai’s appearance at NAB Show represents a tremendous opportunity for attendees to hear first-hand about his regulatory philosophy and priorities.”

He has signaled his priorities include advancing broadband—by closing the digital divide—and broadcasting by clearing away some old regs and allowing some new tech.

Pai is widely expected to loosen media ownership regs and has already given broadcasters a boost by leading a unanimous vote to propose allowing broadcasters to voluntarily roll out the new ATSC 3.0 next gen transmission standard.

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.