National Association of Broadcasters announces leadership changes

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has announced that Rick Kaplan will depart the organization at the end of 2026. Kaplan, who has served the association for over 14 years, most recently held the roles of chief legal officer and executive vice president for legal and regulatory affairs.

During his tenure, Kaplan led several significant legal efforts, including a unanimous Supreme Court victory regarding broadcast ownership restrictions and a successful challenge before the Copyright Royalty Board that lowered streaming rates for the radio industry. His work also encompassed ATSC 3.0, retransmission consent, and FCC spectrum auctions.

Starting January 1, the NAB will restructure its leadership by merging its Government Relations and Legal teams. Shawn Donilon, the current chief legal officer, will transition into a new role as Chief Advocacy Officer. This combined structure is intended to improve coordination between the association’s advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill, within the administration, and at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).