NAB HQ Move Delayed Due to COVID-19

COVID-19 effects continue to be felt in media, telecom and technology. NAB won't move when planned, we were told Tuesday afternoon.

Earlier that day, we heard that an annual summer Technology Policy Institute conference in Aspen, Colorado, was postponed and moved cross country to be in the fall. You can see that report in front of our pay wall here (as is some of our other coronavirus coverage). Monday, we reported that the FCC also won't move on time. See here.

NAB had planned to move from its longtime building near Dupont Circle to its newly constructed headquarters last week, its spokesperson said now. That wasn't possible, he noted: "NAB staff has been working remotely from home since March 16."

The broadcasters' association is "currently in a holding pattern on when we actually will be able to move in to 1M" St. SE (see here), emailed the spokesperson: "The building is ready whenever it's deemed safe to transition from our 'shelter in place' status."

In an interview on C-SPAN taped at around the time much of Washington began what's now called work from home, NAB CEO Gordon Smith had said the HQ move was "on track." He called the new facility a "beautiful new building" that puts the trade group closer to Congress. "It will enhance our efficiency," he told us then.