BBG Watch Commentary
BBG Watch has reported that according to usually well-informed sources, Andrew R. Lack, Chairman of Bloomberg Media Group, Bloomberg L.P., is being eyed for the new public service position of CEO of all U.S. civilian international media outreach under the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), an independent federal agency which itself faces a bipartisan reform effort in Congress.
The members of the Broadcasting Board of Governors will meet in a closed session on Friday, September 19, 2014, to discuss the results of a search effort for potential candidates for the position of the Chief Executive Officer.
A biography of Andy Lack can be seen here.
READ: Bloomberg’s Andy Lack eyed for U.S. broadcasting CEO job at BBG, BBG Watch, September 18, 2014.
BBG Watch reported that with the BBG’s main broadcaster, the Voice of America (VOA), experiencing a major management meltdown, social media irrelevancy and questionable projects with repressive regimes, the agency desperately needs a high energy and effective CEO who can run the agency composed of both government entities — VOA, Office of Cuba Broadcasting (OCB) and the enormous government program support bureaucracy of the International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) — and public, non-profit media entities — Radio Free Asia (RFA), Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), and Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN).
The BBG is also looking at becoming only an advisory board if the bipartisan reform bill, H.R. 4490, passes the Senate and is signed by the President
BBG Watch also reported that whether Andy Lack would be offered the job and decides to accept it remains to be seen, but if he does it would be a major achievement for the BBG Chairman Jeff Shell and the current board to have a high profile CEO provided he can manage a government bureaucracy just as well as a private media company. It will not be an easy task and the selection has not been yet finalized and approved by the board.
An announcement on the result of the BBG CEO search and any board action is expected Friday or Monday.
We have found this video by The Festival of Media Asia published on March 18, 2013: “Shifting the news agenda – Andy Lack.” Andy Lack is interviewed by Charlie Crowe, chief executive, C Squared.