Rick Kaplan To Be New NAB General Counsel

Jane Mago, general counsel and EVP of the NAB Legal Department, today told the NAB board of directors that she will retire from the association following a 10-year career. NAB President Gordon Smith announced that Rick Kaplan, NAB EVP of strategic planning, will succeed Mago as head of the NAB Legal Department.

Mago, who came to NAB in 2004 after a 26-year career at the FCC, told the NAB Board she is “calling it a decade” and that she intends to move from the Washington area to Naples, Fla. “It has been an honor and a privilege to work for and with the broadcast industry through many challenging times,” Mago said. “The work that broadcasters do every day makes a real and positive difference in communities across America, and I’m proud to have been associated with this great profession.”

Smith called Mago “a remarkable advocate for NAB and one of the classiest people in our business. Jane’s integrity is unquestioned, and her bridge-building style has been a huge asset for broadcasters in Washington. I speak for the entire NAB staff, the communications bar association and the NAB Board in saying that Jane Mago has served all broadcasters with distinction.”

Mago’s NAB career has included numerous highlights, including several appearances as a witness on behalf of NAB before Congressional committees. She helped shepherd the transition from analog to digital television through the FCC, oversaw NAB legal strategies related to the successful Aereo copyright infringement case at the U.S. Supreme Court, spearheaded legal efforts on performance royalty issues, worked collaboratively with the FCC to revitalize AM radio through the use of FM translators, and worked with the Commission to update broadcast emergency alerting.

Smith said that “NAB is fortunate to have someone with Rick Kaplan’s intellect and Washington savvy waiting in the wings to replace Jane. As head of the NAB spectrum team, Rick has demonstrated a commitment and work ethic that will help NAB Legal continue to succeed.”

Mago has been retained as a consultant to NAB through the end of 2015 to assist Kaplan in his transition. She will also help oversee music licensing litigation before the Copyright Royalty Board on behalf of radio stations.

Prior to joining NAB, Mago held many high-level positions at the FCC, including general counsel, chief of the Office of Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis, deputy chief of the Enforcement Bureau and legal adviser to three commissioners. She holds B.A., M.A. and J.D. degrees from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Kaplan earned a B.A. in philosophy from Wesleyan University and a J.D. from Columbia Law School, where he was editor-in-chief of the Columbia Law Review. He began his legal career as a law clerk for Judge Harry T. Edwards of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.