President Nominates NBCU International Chief Jeff Shell to Head BBG

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Jeff Shell, president of NBCUniversal International, has been nominated by President Barack Obama to be chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors.

The BBG is an independent entity overseeing all U.S. government backed non-military, international broadcasting comprising broadcasts in 59 languages via Voice of America (VOA), the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (OCB), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), Radio Free Asia (RFA), and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks.

Shell has been head of NBCU International since 2011, having previously been president of Comcast Programming Group from 2005 to 2011, when Comcast combined with NBCU in a joint venture.

Shell has an extensive U.S. broadcasting background, including stints at Gemstar TV Guide International and Fox Cable Networks Group, where he headed entertainment and sports programming.

John Eggerton
John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.