FCC's Tom Wheeler Keynotes Day 3 At NAB Show

Tom Wheeler

The NAB Show in La Vegas Wednesday featured Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler, John McAfee, Sandra Adair, and numerous events providing insight around video monetization, dynamics between brands and influencers, and the Internet of Things.

The third day of NAB Show began with a keynote address from Wheeler, who praised radio and TV broadcasters for their commitment to localism, and their ability to bring together people in real time during major events. Wheeler also gave an update on the current state of the upcoming incentive auction, announcing he was circulating simpler rules.

 Wheeler also made his pitch to broadcasters as to why they should actively support the controversial net neutrality rules passed in February, which are already being challenged in the courts.

“The Open Internet order,” Wheeler told broadcasters, “safeguards an increasingly important distribution channel for your most important product – local news and information.  It assures that your use of the Internet will be free from the risk of discrimination or hold up by a gatekeeper."

“I hope this means that you as individual broadcasters, as well as through NAB,” added Wheeler, “can support what we have done and help explain its importance to the principles upon which broadcasting has always been based."

“Your goals,” continued Wheeler, “as an important and innovative public service provider and our Open Internet goals are the same: when you want to offer something over the Internet, no one should stand in your way. Least of all, no one should stand between you and the consumers who will benefit from your service.”

Wheeler did not make reference to the legal challenges already filed in federal court over what the commission calls the Open Internet rules; or the ones expected to be filed shortly.



Throwing broadcasters a bone, Wheeler hinted that he favors changing the rules to allow foreign ownership of broadcast properties above the current 25 percent cap for the first time. He said he is working on this proposal with his fellow commissioner, Michael O’Rielly.

At the Creative Master Series, 2015 Academy Award nominee and ACE Eddie Award winner Sandra Adair, A.C.E., spoke with writer and University of Southern California professor Norm Hollyn about her multi-decade relationship with director Richard Linklater. The conversation centered around their 12-year collaboration for “Boyhood” – how Adair came to work with Linklater, keeping the first cut largely unchanged through the final cut, and how to structure a film that unfolds over the course of a decade.



The Technology Luncheon featured John McAfee, cybersecurity expert and founder of McAfee Associates and Future Tense Central. McAfee gave a keynote hat demonstrated firsthand the vulnerability of mobile devices, while also addressing methods of personal information and data capture possible with current technology. McAfee also participated as a panelist during the “Protecting our Assets: Cybersecurity and the Media” session, which tackled issues such as how to keep essential data safe.



The Technology Luncheon also included the presentation of NAB Engineering Achievement Awards. Richard Friedel was honored for television, Tom King for radio, and Ray Conover was awarded the Service to Broadcast Engineering Award. James F. Goodmon, Jr. received the first-annual Digital Leadership Award.

The Super Session, “Broadband and the Internet of Things: Realities and Myths,” hosted discussions to dispel the myths of bandwidth scarcity, while “How to Leverage Online Video’s New Influencers for Winning Brand Extensions” at the Online Video Conference focused on new ways that brands can better work with talent to create more engaging advertising campaigns.