Rick Kaplan, a key figure at the National Association of Broadcasters for the past 14 years, will leave NAB at the end of the year.
For the last five years he has been NAB’s chief legal officer and EVP for legal and regulatory affairs, putting him at the elbow of President/CEO Curtis LeGeyt through some of NAB’s biggest issues.
The association also announced that in January it will bring its government relations and legal teams together under Shawn Donilon, who will be chief advocacy officer. LeGeyt called Donilon “a trusted leader and a skilled strategist.”
NAB said this structure will strengthen coordination between its advocacy on Capitol Hill, its interactions with the administration and its work with the Federal Communications Commission.
Legal wins
NAB had high praise for Rick Kaplan. President/CEO Curtis LeGeyt cited his ability to build consensus and his “tireless” advocacy.
According to the announcement text, Kaplan “led NAB through a decade of critical court wins, including a unanimous victory at the Supreme Court removing outdated restrictions on broadcast ownership. He also oversaw a seminal victory for the radio industry before the Copyright Royalty Board, which dramatically lowered streaming rates for broadcasters. That win paved the way for a landmark settlement in the most recent webcasting proceeding.”
NAB said he also worked on regulatory and legal issues including ATSC 3.0, retransmission consent, the FCC’s broadcast spectrum incentive auction, music licensing, sponsor ID rules and reducing broadcasters’ regulatory fees.
Prior to NAB, Kaplan held several roles at the FCC, including chief of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and counsel roles with Chairman Julius Genachowski and Commissioner Mignon Clyburn.
