FCC Commissioners Taking Active Role At NAB Show

Commissioners Anna Gomez and Nathan Simington of the FCC are set to lead significant policy discussions at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show 2025, taking place April 5–9 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Their appearances highlight the FCC’s engagement with pressing regulatory and technological issues facing the broadcast industry.

Anna Gomez, a Democratic commissioner sworn in September 2023, will host a Q&A session on Monday, April 7, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. in room W219 as part of the Broadcast Management Track. 

Anna Gomez

Known for her outspoken advocacy on diversity, fairness, and consumer protection in broadcasting, Gomez brings over 30 years of experience in communications law and policy. Her recent public stances include criticizing FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and calling an investigation into CBS News politically motivated. 

At the NAB Show, her session, moderated by Wall Street Journal reporter Joe Flint, will likely cover regulatory priorities, the challenges and opportunities for broadcasters in today’s media landscape, and her push against government overreach in media affairs. Given her background—12 years at the FCC, including as Deputy Chief of the International Bureau, and leadership roles at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)—expect her to emphasize digital equity, broadband access, and the FCC’s role in serving the public.

Nathan Simington, a Republican commissioner confirmed in 2020, will deliver keynote remarks on Tuesday, April 8, from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Theater 2 (room W2631) during the session “Overcoming Hurdles to Full ATSC 3.0 Deployment.” 

Nathan Simington

A proponent of regulatory modernization, Simington has focused on spectrum policy and the economic challenges facing broadcasters, often arguing that outdated FCC rules hinder industry growth. His session will address technical, logistical, and regulatory barriers to adopting ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV), a standard promising enhanced broadcast capabilities like 4K video and interactive features. 

With experience as NTIA Senior Advisor and as senior counsel at Brightstar Corp., Simington’s talk aligns with his view that broadcasters are “economic underdogs” constrained by ownership limits and insufficient capital. He’s likely to push for policies easing these restrictions, a stance he’s echoed at past NAB events.

The NAB Show context amplifies their appearances. Broadcasters are grappling with competition from digital platforms, ownership deregulation debates (e.g., the national audience cap and UHF discount), and ATSC 3.0 monetization prospects. 

Gomez’s Q&A follows her recent high-profile remarks, while Simington’s keynote rides momentum from bipartisan calls—like a March 2025 letter from 73 House members—to update media ownership rules.