Reforming The Federal Communications Commission

January 5, 2009 - 9:00am - 12:30pm

The new leadership of the FCC will face a challenge in evaluating how to reform how the agency operates and addresses a series of policy challenges. In the wake of the recent conclusions issued by the House Energy & Commerce Committee, it is both timely and important to examine how the FCC has done its job — and to consider how the FCC can do better job in the future on issues such as managing spectrum, Net Neutrality and media ownership.

Public Knowledge and the Silicon Flatirons Center at the University of Colorado are sponsoring a conference on January 5, 2009 to look at the future of the FCC. Speakers will include former FCC Chairmen Reed Hundt and William Kennard. Former Commissioner Nicholas Johnson, who wrote the classic book, “How to Talk Back to Your Television Set,” and former Commissioner Kathleen Abernathy will also take part.

Holeman Lounge
National Press Building
Washington, DC

This event is now full and registration has been closed.
If you would like to add your name to the waiting list — should space become available — please send e-mail to: pk@publicknowledge.org

Agenda

Welcome and Introduction (9:00am - 9:10am)

Gigi Sohn
President and Co-Founder
Public Knowledge
Phil Weiser
Professor of Law
Interdisciplinary Telecommunications Program
University of Colorado
Executive Director
Silicon Flatirons Center

Panel I: The Future of the FCC as an Institution (9:10am - 10:20am)

Panelists

Mark Cooper
Director of Research
Consumer Federation of America
Pierre DeVries
Silicon Flatirons Senior Adjunct Fellow
University of Colorado
Mike Marcus
Marcus Spectrum Solutions
Jessica Rosenworcel
Senate Commerce Committee
Jonathan Sallet
Silicon Flatirons Senior Adjunct Fellow
University of Colorado
Partner
The Glover Park Group
Phil Weiser
Professor of Law
Interdisciplinary Telecommunications Program
University of Colorado
Executive Director
Silicon Flatirons Center

Moderator

Gigi Sohn
President and Co-Founder
Public Knowledge

Break (10:20am - 10:35am)

Panel II: The Past as Prologue: Lessons From History on the Road to Reform (10:35am - 11:45am)

Panelists

Kathleen Abernathy
Partner
Wilkinson Barker & Knauer
Former FCC Commissioner
Kathryn C. Brown
SVP of Policy
Verizon
Former Chief of Staff
FCC
Kyle Dixon
Partner
Kamlet Shepherd and Reichert, LLP
Former Media Bureau Deputy Chief
FCC
Henry Geller
Former Administrator
NTIA
Ellen Goodman
Professor of Law
University of Rutgers-Camden
Of Counsel
Covington & Burling
Nick Johnson
Professor of Law
University of Iowa School of Law
Former FCC Commissioner