Earlier this year NAB president and CEO Gordon Smith announced he would be stepping down at the end of 2021. TVBEurope caught up with Smith to reflect on his time at the organisation, and what the future holds
By TVBEurope Staff
Published: October 14, 2021 Updated: October 18, 2021
Earlier this year NAB president and CEO Gordon Smith announced he would be stepping down at the end of 2021. TVBEurope caught up with Smith to reflect on his time at the organisation, and what the future holds
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin>
Why is now is the right time to step down from your role at NAB? There are things that I have put on the back burner during my time in public office and at NAB that I want to prioritise. I have a large food processing business in Oregon that I would like to focus on. I would like to devote more time to my church. Most importantly, I have grandchildren who I look forward to doting on.
We are fortunate to have assembled a talented team at NAB. I am stepping down from my role confident that NAB and the broadcast industry are in good hands with Curtis LeGeyt at the helm with the support of a capable staff.
How has the show changed during your time as CEO? We have put an emphasis on delivering value to the NAB Show community year-round, both in-person and online.
Several years ago, we acquired the convention now known as NAB Show New York, which showcases a full range of next-generation technology for media and entertainment professionals in a more intimate setting. We made this acquisition with the goal of establishing and growing an NAB event for the East Coast content community, and we have been quite happy with the results.
In addition, even before the pandemic, we knew that business - including for events - was moving towards a hybrid in-person and digital model. That certainly has accelerated recently. We placed a major focus on building out our digital offerings to complement NAB Show, as well as connect and engage the NAB Show community throughout the year.
What achievement are you most proud of? When I first joined NAB, I was alarmed to find significant disunity within the industry. We were out of sync with our priorities and messaging. Policymakers are not inclined to help an industry that is bogged down by internal squabbles.
I made it a priority to create a united front that speaks constructively in one voice. I am proud that broadcasters have bought into that message, from the grassroots level all the way up to our board of directors. Our victories over the past decade are a testament to the influence of broadcasters when we work together.
What piece of advice would you give to your successor? From his decade of work spearheading NAB's Capitol Hill advocacy, Curtis [LeGeyt] knows this first-hand but it is important for the entire broadcasting industry to hear: Do not take for granted that those in federal power fully understand the incredible role local television and radio play in their communities.
Public service is ingrained in the DNA of broadcasters. Delivering lifeline news and information, connecting communities, covering breaking events, being on-air when disaster strikes; these are all hallmarks of what it means to be a broadcaster.
Yet, sometimes our elected officials get distracted by the latest gadget or online trend. They can forget that broadcast radio and television are go-to sources for local news for their constituents, important employers in their districts and supporters of charitable causes that help people in need. Whenever broadcasters meet with their representatives, make sure they understand the enduring value of local broadcasting.
What new technology has particularly stood out to you as a game changer for the media industry? Broadcast television is transitioning to a new transmission standard - Next Gen TV - which will be a game-changer for our industry going forward. It allows us to deliver pristine picture quality, immersive sound, interactive features, datacasting, mobile programming and innovative emergency alerting.
The roll-out of Next Gen TV is happening in markets across the country and the next few years will be an exciting time for broadcasting with the new tools the standard will unleash.
Where do you see the industry going next? I believe the future for consumers is a combination of broadcasting and broadband. People are cutting the cord and supplementing over-the-air television with digital services. Next Gen TV also utilises broadband to deliver many of its features and that relationship is critical to the standard's success.
Additionally, the pandemic has accelerated the move towards a hybrid business model of in-person and remote work. This industry adapted with home studios and offices, socially distant reporting from the field, remote operations and innovative ways of storytelling.
What has made you passionate about working in the media tech industry? When I left the Senate, joining NAB was enticing because the calling card of a broadcaster is public service. I knew I wanted to continue giving back to my community. Broadcasting is part of the lifeblood of American democracy and giving the lion's roar for the industry on Capitol Hill has allowed me to continue serving our nation.
As a senator, I would receive the most messages from my constituents when there was an issue affecting their television or radio. People are passionate about their local broadcast stations and the connection they provide to their communities. It has been an honour to represent the broadcast industry and ensure broadcasters everywhere are able to serve their audiences.
How difficult was it to take the decision to cancel this year's show? It was an incredibly difficult decision to cancel this year's Show. We were looking forward to hosting a world-class event that broug
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
13/03/2026
Spotify has always been built around your taste. More than 80% of listeners say personalization is what they love most about us. Now we're taking that even ...
13/03/2026
The new Spotify Legends Club has opened its doors. Its members: select German-sp...
13/03/2026
Pushing drum sampler technology into new territories
The latest version of Klevgrand's software drum sampler has just arrived, boasting a newly designe...
13/03/2026
Expanded headphone support & engine improvements
IK Multimedia's recently introduced ARC On-Ear system brings the power of their monitoring-correction s...
13/03/2026
Extra sound collections, more presets & new Keys category
UVI's rhythm and pattern instrument has just received a major update that introduces four new ...
13/03/2026
13 Mar 2026
VEON Delivers Record Digital Growth: 4Q25 Digital Revenues Grow 84%...
13/03/2026
Friday 13 March 2026
Sky Adds Blood on Snow to Original Film Slate in Acquisiti...
13/03/2026
RT has announced today that Rick O'Shea is the new presenter of Arena RT Radio 1's flagship weeknight arts and culture programme. Rick has been pres...
13/03/2026
Lights! Camera! Action! The 98th Oscars set to air live as RT backs the Irish n...
12/03/2026
Staines-upon-Thames, UK, 11th March, 2026 - Yospace, the trusted leader in Dyna...
12/03/2026
In Latin America, women are shaping music and defining its future. To kick off t...
12/03/2026
En Am rica Latina, las mujeres est n moldeando la m sica y definiendo su futuro....
12/03/2026
Let's turn back the clock 20 years: The music landscape was a world away fro...
12/03/2026
Bad Bunny is no stranger to Spotify's Billions Club. In fact, he has a whopp...
12/03/2026
Spotify was at the London Book Fair this week, joining conversations across the publishing industry about how people can make reading part of their daily lives....
12/03/2026
Mastering tool improves mono compatibility
Tokyo Dawn Labs' Ohlhorst Digital range is a series of mastering-focused plug-ins developed by Jan Ohlhorst, ...
12/03/2026
Wave FX processor integrated into four products
Lewitt have teamed up with Elgato to create a new processor for the company's Wave Next product range, i...
12/03/2026
Free tool for annotating audio files
Mix Notes is a new, free iOS App that provides users with a simple way to annotate their audio files. It's been cre...
12/03/2026
Side-chain ducking tool gets an upgrade
Devious Machines' popular side-chaining and envelope-shaping tool has just been kitted out with an improved enve...
12/03/2026
Ceremony to take place on 16 April 2026
The MPG (Music Producers Guild) have revealed the full shortlist for this year's MPG Awards, which will be takin...
12/03/2026
Emulates three classic dbx 160 variants
The latest arrival to Overloud's Gem Series plug-in range faithfully recreates not one, but three versions of th...
12/03/2026
New granular soft synth announced
Said to be their most advanced software synthesizer to date, Baby Audio's latest release has been built on a new granu...
12/03/2026
Latest version now live!
Edit 11 March 2026 - Bitwig Studio 6 is now live, and available for all to download!
The latest version of Bitwig's DAW softwa...
12/03/2026
Latest free eBook now available!
Designed for recording engineers, audio-technology students and technically minded musicians, our latest free eBook deliver...
12/03/2026
Rohde & Schwarz Cybersecurity expands SITLine network encryptor portfolio - more...
12/03/2026
Rohde & Schwarz to showcase future-proof EMC testing solutions at EMV 2026 Rohde & Schwarz will participate in EMV 2026, Europe's premier trade fair and c...
12/03/2026
Modern media operations demand a platform that unites automation, orchestration, and human oversight without compromise. In this post, we explore the six key te...
12/03/2026
A deep dive into the platform
Architecture The Blue Lucy platform follows a distributed microservices architecture, meaning the overall operational capability...
12/03/2026
Orchestration platform enables broadcasters to deploy multiple AI models safely with full auditability, rights protection, and regulatory oversight.
LONDON, En...
12/03/2026
Wuppertal March 12, 2026
Riedel Expands Managed Technology Division in the Ame...
12/03/2026
Advanced Media Server Delivers Double the Channel Density at Half the Cost per C...
12/03/2026
The Late Late Show Show St Patrick's Day special
Dancing with the Stars f...
11/03/2026
First Medium-Earth Orbit (MEO) deployment of the emergency.lu platform for refugees and their host communities' use provides dependable broadband for humani...
11/03/2026
Following a successful first series, UKTV today announces the commission of two ...
11/03/2026
Wednesday 11 March 2026
Sky and CANAL launch new partnership to develop English-language drama
Sky and CANAL are today announcing a strategic co commissioni...
11/03/2026
NTCA, Cartesian Release New Report on the Business Case for USF
March 11, 2026
Network Economics
News
NTCA - March 11, 2026 - As the FCC and Congr...
11/03/2026
TELL US YOUR (SHORT) STORIES
The 2026 RT Short Story Competition is now open for entries
Recognising and rewarding the best new Irish fiction writing for...
11/03/2026
RT 's The Traitors Ireland is among the nominees for the 2026 Celtic Media Festival Torc Awards for Excellence, announced today....
10/03/2026
10 Mar 2026
VEON's Largest Market Pakistan Almost Triples Mobile Spectrum i...
09/03/2026
Contains all six dual-ensemble libraries
VSL's Duality Strings series offers an intriguing alternative to your average string library, capturing two str...
09/03/2026
Outstanding Contribution To UK Music
Photo: Samuel Bradley
Ahead of their upcoming MPG Awards, the Music Producers Guild (MPG) have revealed the latest win...
09/03/2026
Two new high-quality DI boxes announced
Boasting some impressive technical specifications and versatile routing options, Strymon's latest active DI boxe...
09/03/2026
Latest MPE-capable Soundbox library released
The follow-up release for Sonora Cinematic's Pure Nylon has arrived, and becomes the latest addition to the...
09/03/2026
Popular wireless mic head design revived
Sennheiser have revealed that the MD 9235, a cardioid mic head designed to pair up with their handheld wireless sys...
Earlier this year NAB president and CEO Gordon Smith announced he would be stepping down at the end of 2021. TVBEurope caught up with Smith to reflect on his time at the organisation, and what the future holds
