NAB President/CEO Gordon Smith has agreed to a contract extension that will keep him in the position until Dec. 31, 2018.
Smith joined NAB in November 2009. He is a former two-term United States senator from Oregon (1996–2008) and was a successful broadcaster and entrepreneur before launching his career in politics.
NAB Joint Board Chairman Charles Warfield, who’s also senior advisor to YMF Media, made the announcement today. “Gordon Smith has been tested under fire and proven himself to be a remarkable unifying voice for America’s free and local radio and television stations. His integrity is unquestioned, and his determination to fight for broadcasters in the public policy arena is undiminished.”
Smith said he’s “thrilled” to accept a new contract. “Free and local broadcasting is the indispensable one-to-everyone communications technology that is always reliable in a fragmented media world. It is worth fighting for, and I’m honored by the faith that the NAB Board is putting in me to continue leading the charge.”
During his tenure in the U.S. Senate, Smith’s committee assignments included the Senate Commerce Committee, the panel that oversees broadcast-related legislation. He was also on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the Senate Finance Committee, and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was respected as a pragmatic lawmaker able to successfully reach across party lines, according to NAB. Smith’s role on the Commerce Committee and as the Chairman of a Senate High Tech Task Force helped foster his interest in new media and new technology issues.
After leaving the Senate in 2008, Smith joined the law firm of Covington & Burling LLP for 10 months before accepting an offer to head the NAB.
