Richard Wiley Named to First-Ever ‘Power 100’ List by Broadcasting & Cable and Multichannel News

January 8, 2016

Wiley Rein LLP Chairman Emeritus Richard E. Wiley was named to the 2015 “Power 100” list published by Broadcasting & Cable (B&C) and Multichannel News. It is the joint publications’ first-ever effort to showcase the major contributors, influential players, and high-profile dealmakers in the broadcast industry. B&C noted the list is a “snapshot of the developers and disruptors, programmers and providers, and regulators and dealmakers who push the industry forward.” 

Luminaries on the list include Tom Wheeler, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC); Tim Cook, CEO of Apple; Roger Goodell, Commissioner of the National Football League; Bonnie Hammer, Chairman of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment; Oprah Winfrey, Chairwoman, CEO and Chief Creative Officer of Oprah Winfrey Network; Doug Herzog, President of Viacom Music and Entertainment Group; and Lorne Michaels, Creator and Executive Producer of “Saturday Night Live,” among many others.

B&C highlighted Mr. Wiley’s career, stating he “has arguably been the most influential lobbyist, lawyer and counselor in media over the past several decades.” It also noted that Wiley Rein, the firm he co-founded, is “well known as a launching pad for top FCC staffers, including commissioners.”

Mr. Wiley served as Chairman, Commissioner, and General Counsel of the FCC during the 1970s, and was a leading force in the agency’s efforts to foster increased competition and lessened regulation in the communications field. He also chaired the Commission’s Advisory Committee on Advanced Television Service from 1987 to 1995, a period that led to his being dubbed the “father of high-definition television.” Mr. Wiley received an Emmy Award for this important work in leading the development of the nation’s digital television transmission standard.