Public Forum to Discuss Proposed Comcast-NBCU-GE Joint Venture
The Federal Communications Commission held a public forum on Tuesday, July 13, 2010, from 1:00 - 8:00 p.m. at Northwestern University Law School, Thorne Auditorium, 375 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611 to discuss the Comcast/NBCU/GE joint venture proposal.
The forum consisted of two panels in the afternoon, followed by a special segment from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. for the public to ask questions and share their views about the proposed merger. Slots for this two hour segment were assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. The forum was carried live over the Internet on the FCC Live web page at http://reboot.fcc.gov/live. Questions from the Internet audience were submitted throughout the event via e-mail to livequestions@fcc.gov and via Twitter using the hash tag, #fccNBC.
Agenda and Panelists
(Central Standard Time)
1:00 p.m. Introduction and Opening Remarks
Commissioner Michael Copps, Federal Communications Commission
1:15 p.m. Panel 1: Online Video Distribution Considerations
John Flynn, Senior Counsel to the Chairman for Transactions, FCC (Moderator)
Jeffrey Blum, Deputy General Counsel, DISH Network
Susan Crawford, Professor, Cardozo Law School, and Visiting Research Collaborator, Princeton University
Markham C. Erickson, Partner, Holch & Erickson LLP, and Executive Director, NetCoalition
Travis Parsons, Senior Director, Business Development, Sezmi
Josh Silver, President and CEO, Free Press
Scott Wallsten, Vice President for Research and Senior Fellow, Technology Policy Institute
Susan Whiting, Vice Chair, The Nielsen Company
3:00 p.m. Break
3:15 p.m. Panel 2: Multichannel Video Programming Distributor Considerations
William Lake, Chief, Media Bureau, FCC (Moderator)
Colleen Abdoulah, President and CEO, WOW! Internet, Cable and Phone
Tyrone Brown, President, Media Access Project
Brian Lawlor, President-Chairman, NBC Television Affiliates and Senior Vice President of Television, The E.W. Scripps Company
William Rogerson, Professor of Economics, Northwestern University
Ken Solomon, Chairman & CEO, The Tennis Channel
James Speta, Professor, Northwestern University School of Law
5:00 p.m. Break
6:00 p.m. Public Comments
8:00 p.m. Adjournment
Workshop Materials
Statements
Panel 1
Panel 2