Michael Copps’ first FCC Open Meeting as acting Chairman will feature three panels, the first and last dealing with the DTV transition and sandwiching a second panel, which will also focus on the DTV transition. The first panel will deal with outreach, the second with call centers and the third with reception issues and the analog nightlight. The meeting kicks off at 2PM and aims to wrap up at 4:30PM. NAB’s David K. Rehr will represent broadcasters on the second panel; and MSTV’s David Donovan will be on the third.
Here is the full panel composition:
Panel 1: DTV Consumer Outreach
* Cathy Seidel, Chief of the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, FCC
* Tony Wilhelm, Consumer Education Director, NTIA
* Mark Lloyd, VP, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
* Sandy Markwood, CEO, National Association of Area Agencies on Aging
Panel 2: DTV Call Centers
* Andrew Martin, Chief Information Officer, Federal Communications Commission
* Sam Howe, Executive Vice President, Time Warner Cable
* David Rehr, President and CEO, National Association of Broadcasters
* Dennis Lyle, President, National Alliance of State Broadcasters Assns
Panel 3: Reception Issues and Analog Nightlight
* Julius Knapp, Chief of Office of Engineering and Technology, FCC
* David Donovan, President, MSTV
* Joel Kelsey, Policy Analyst, Consumers Union
* Michael Petricone, Senior Vice President Government Affairs, CEA
RBR/TVBR observation: Although Copps has expressed reticence about delving into big picture areas, preferring to leave them to the incoming chair, he is digging into matters on the FCC’s plate right now with vigor. Right now that means DTV. All we can say, we hope that gives FCC staff working on the localism proceeding time to realize how foolhardy and ineffective many of the proposed localism prescriptions will be.
