---

NAB2006 will take place April 22 - 27, 2006 in Las Vegas (exhibits open April 24). It is the world's largest electronic media show covering the development, delivery and management of professional video and audio content across all media.

The National Association of Broadcasters is a trade association that advocates on behalf of more than 8,300 free, local radio and television stations and also broadcast networks before Congress, the Federal Communications Commission and the Courts. Information about NAB can be found at www.nab.org.

InsideHoops.com below presents key pieces of information that highlight this year's event:

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin will speak Tuesday, April 25 at the FCC Chairman's Breakfast during NAB2006 in Las Vegas. The FCC Chairman's Breakfast is part of the Business, Law & Regulation Conference, where NAB brings federal regulators and legal experts together to highlight the most important legal issues of the day and teach broadcast managers, station owners and station counsel how to deal with ever-evolving technology policy. The FCC Chairman's Breakfast is sponsored by AG Edwards.

The NAB announced on March 30 that FCC Commissioner Michael Copps will join Commissioners Jonathan Adelstein and Deborah Taylor Tate at the NAB2006 Regulatory Face-off, in Las Vegas April 25. The session, part of the Business, Law & Regulation Conference at NAB2006, will feature all three FCC commissioners as they discuss current regulatory topics facing broadcasters.

Chris Anderson, editor-in-chief of Wired magazine, will deliver the keynote address at the NAB2006 Technology Luncheon in Las Vegas on Wednesday, April 26. Anderson's speech, The Long Tail, is also the title of an upcoming book by Anderson based on his research and 2004 article in Wired. The theory of The Long Tail is that our culture and economy is increasingly shifting away from a focus on a relatively small number of "hits" (mainstream products and markets) at the head of the demand curve and toward a huge number of niches in the tail.

FCC member Deborah Taylor Tate will speak on Tuesday, April 25 at NAB2006 in Las Vegas. Tate joined the FCC in January after serving a six-year term as a director of the Tennessee Regulatory Authority, where she was chairman from 2003-2004. In that position, she was appointed by the Chairman of the FCC to the Federal-State Joint Board on Advanced Telecommunications Services. As a member of the national utilities association (NARUC), she served as Chairman of the Washington Action Committee, and served on both the Consumer Affairs and Gas Committees.

In mid March, the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) will demonstrate the most sophisticated technologies in digital television at the DTV Hot Spot: A Digital Paradise. "We are pleased to team up with ATSC to provide NAB2006 attendees with an opportunity to see new, cutting-edge DTV technologies," said NAB President and CEO David K. Rehr. "The ongoing advancement of standards-based technologies is extremely important to the broadcast industry."

Joy99.7 FM and the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) will receive NAB's 2006 International Broadcasting Excellence Awards at the International Reception at NAB2006 in Las Vegas on Monday, April 24. The awards, established in 1995, recognize international broadcasters for exceptional leadership in bettering the lives of their communities and for significant contributions to the advancement of broadcasting through effective utilization of resources.

Joy99.7 FM was the first private commercial station in Ghana. Since 1995, the station has put help for children at the heart of its charity, the Joy Needy Fund. The fund acquired four acres of land and constructed the Orphanage at Frafraha, which cares for 120 children. Joy99.7's charity also provides clothing, food and necessities to other orphanages and funds a home for mentally challenged children.

The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), a leader in innovative audience services, is now the first broadcaster in the world to provide Terrestrial Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (T-DMB), a new form of mobile broadcasting. Launched December 1, 2005, T-DMB provides television, radio and data services on mobile devices such as phone, PDA, digital camera and automobile receivers. Users can access weather, traffic, real time news and entertainment.

NAB announced in early March that it will launch the Web & Mobile Development Conference at NAB2006 on April 25 and 26 in Las Vegas. This new educational technology conference, targeted toward professional Web designers, developers and content providers, will debut as part of the NAB2006 MultiMedia World Conference package. "This is an all-new conference for NAB2006," said John Marino, Vice President Science & Technology at NAB. "We know that in-depth training on new technology platforms is always expected at our events. Content development for mobile media and the Web is evolving rapidly and NAB2006 attendees will have a unique opportunity to learn from experts at the conference and explore exciting new applications on the expo floor."

Hughes Winborne, Academy Award-winning editor of "Crash," will be a featured speaker at the NAB Post|Production World Conference in Las Vegas Sunday, April 23. On Sunday, March 5, Winborne received the 2006 Oscar for his work editing "Crash." Additionally "Crash" won for Best Picture.

FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein will speak on Tuesday, April 25 at NAB2006 in Las Vegas. Adelstein, a strong advocate for consumer rights, has traveled the country to garner the public’s insight on such issues as broadcast ownership and indecency. He has been vocal in his opposition to sponsorship of prepackaged news stories, and has championed the interests of artists and musicians calling for more playlist diversity on radio.

The NAB Education Foundation will host this year's largest broadcasting career fair at NAB2006 in Las Vegas on April 26. Leading broadcasting companies and television and radio stations will take part in recruiting for entry-level to senior management positions. The NABEF Career Fair will be held in conjunction with the Broadcast Education Association (BEA) and the Radio-Television News Directors Association (RTNDA) annual conventions. Career opportunities will be available in sales, news, production, engineering and other areas. Admission is open to both registrants and non-registrants of NAB2006.