Barry D. Umansky
Telecommunications Professor, Department of Telecommunications, Ball State University
Barry D. Umansky is telecommunications professor in the Department of Telecommunications at Ball State University in Muncie, IN, and a senior fellow and senior policy counsel with the Digital Policy Institute (“DPI”) telecommunications “think tank.” He is a communications lawyer with an extensive career in government, industry and private law practice.
After working at broadcast stations during college and law school, he served for seven years as an attorney, specializing in communications policy proceedings, at the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) in Washington. He then became deputy general counsel of the National Association of Broadcasters (“NAB”) in Washington. During his 20 years at NAB, he had responsibilities for broadcast deregulation, new technology, spectrum allocation, environmental, station licensing and other regulatory matters.
For over four years he has served on the FCC’s Consumer Advisory Committee, including as chair of that federal advisory committee’s former “Media Working Group” and now as co-chair of its “IP Transition Working Group.” These appointments were made by the chairman of the FCC.
At Ball State, he teaches courses in electronic media law, professional responsibility, and federal/state communications policy development. He also does pro bono legal and regulatory compliance work for the student-run FM station for which he obtained the FCC license.
Mr. Umansky is a frequent speaker at communications industry meetings and often is quoted on communications policy matters in industry and general press and also on radio and television programs. He is a graduate of Carleton College and the Washington University School of Law and is a member of the District of Columbia and Missouri bars.
