The NAB has filed an ex parte brief with the FCC regarding a proposed rulemaking that would enable GeoBroadcast Solutions to license its proprietary “ZoneCasting” technology reliant on FM booster program origination to fully-licensed stations.
In the brief, the NAB raised concerns with the proposal’s merits in the context of what it says are “credible and public accusations” regarding alleged questionable business dealings of GBS founder and CEO Chris Devine.
In the filing, Rick Kaplan, the NAB’s Chief Legal Officer, shared “publicly available information” detailing some of the instances where Devine has been “credibly accused of fraudulent and deceitful conduct, including lawsuits alleging the conning of a mentally and physically infirm senior citizen out of tens of millions of dollars.” Kaplan also referred to “downright immoral” business practices while running a company specializing in marathon races more than a decade ago and for providing false information to the FCC that raised questions about his qualifications to hold radio station licenses. That latter matter transpired nearly 30 years ago.
There’s more. The NAB also noted that the “vast majority” of comments from broadcasters supporting GBS’s proposal are identical form letters and that these form letters — representing what the NAB believes to be 93 of the 109 stations purportedly supporting GBS — were signed by Aaron Shainis, a longtime counsel to GBS.
In addition, the NAB says, more than half of these filers have service areas covering fewer than 50,000 people. Thus, the association claims, it makes ZoneCasting not remotely financially sustainable for their operations. Lastly, the NAB took issue with the approximately 25 percent of filers who represent non-commercial stations, which cannot accept advertising.
Read the full filing by clicking HERE.
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