PORTLAND, ORE. — What do the NAB President/CEO and the Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee have in common?
They would likely have no objection to a meal featuring Salt and Straw ice cream, beer from Deschutes Brewery, wine from the Willamette Valley, and some organic eats from a variety of food pods around Portland.
Both are from Oregon, and they’re teaming up to discuss current legislation and its potential impact on the broadcasting industry.
Oregon Republican House Member Greg Walden, who chairs the House E&C Committee, will chat with NAB head and former Oregon Senator Gordon Smith during the 2018 NAB Show Opening. It is scheduled for 9am Pacific on April 9 on the Main Stage in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Rep. Walden has represented Oregon’s Second Congressional District since 1998. In December 2016, he was selected as Chairman of the full Committee on Energy and Commerce. Walden previously served as Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.
For radio industry veterans, Walden is also well-known for his years in broadcasting, making him what Smith calls “a steadfast champion of local broadcasting.” Walden and his wife spent more than two decades as radio station owners in the Gorge: KIHR-AM 1340 and KCGB-FM 105.5 in Hood River, just east of Portland. The stations are now owned by Bicoastal Media.
Walden is being added to an event that features a Keynote by YouTube Chief Product Officer Neal Mohan and the presentation of the NAB Distinguished Service Award to ABC’s Good Morning America co-host Robin Roberts.
RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson will be covering the 2018 NAB Show from Las Vegas from April 8-11.
