Washington — Eddie Fritts, National Association of Broadcasters’ (NAB) president, told his organization’s board of directors that he will leave his post as soon as a replacement is found.
Fritts, who has been the NAB’s CEO since 1982, didn’t issue a timetable for his departure, although his contract expires at the end of April 2006.
Fritts had been a vocal force defending the positions of the NAB membership. Under his leadership, the association scored numerous victories in the digital television transition and maintained many distribution rights in battles with satellite television providers.
He also successfully lobbied for passage of the 1992 Cable Act, which required cable operators to carry local broadcast stations in cable territories — an order know as “must-carry.”
However, the NAB recently lost a bid to have the Federal Communications Commission require digital must-carry obligations of cable providers include multicast television stations.
