Mago Replacing MacBride At NAB
Will Still Advise Association On FCC Issues
By Ted Hearn -- Multichannel News, 12/4/2008 11:07:00 AM
Washington—Marsha MacBride, executive vice president of legal and regulatory affairs at the National Association of Broadcasters, is leaving the trade organization and is being replaced by her deputy, Jane Mago, NAB president David Rehr announced today.
"Marsha will continue to serve as a strategic advisor to the association on issues pending before the FCC and administration," Rehr (left) said in an e-mail Thursday afternoon to the NAB board and staff.
MacBride joined the NAB in 2003 from her position as FCC chief of staff for former chairman Michael Powell.
Mago, an FCC veteran who joined the NAB a year after MacBride, has been named executive vice president of legal and regulatory affairs and general counsel.
"In this role, Jane will lead NAB's team of attorneys representing local broadcasters and networks before the FCC, the administration and the courts," Rehr said.
Rehr didn't provide an reason for MacBride's departure, but 2008 was a tough year at the FCC for local broadcasters. NAB failed to stop both the XM-Sirius satellite radio merger and the introduction of unlicensed mobile devices in vacant spectrum between TV channels.
NAB spokesman Dennis Wharton declined to comment.
MacBride is leaving just 75 days before the most important event in recent broadcast history, the Feb. 17 shutdown of analog TV stations to usher in the era of all digital broadcasting.
