On December 10, 2009 the Computer and Telecommunications Law Section (CTLS), together with the Administrative Law and Agency Practice Section, the Antitrust and Consumer Law Section, the Arts, Entertainment, Media and Sports Law Section, the Corporation, Finance and Securities Law Section, and the Litigation Section, hosted a brown bag lunch entitled "It’s Not Child’s Play: Current Issues in Children’s Television and Advertising Protections."

On behalf of all the cosponsoring sections, we would like to thank the following panelists for sharing their viewpoint and expertise to more than forty attendees on this very important topic:

William Lake, Chief, Federal Communications Commission Media Bureau

Kathleen Abernathy, Partner, Wilkinson Barker Knauer (and former Federal Communications Commission Commissioner)

Susan Fox, Vice President, Government Relations, The Walt Disney Company

Adam Thierer, President, Progress and Freedom Foundation

Angela Campbell, Professor of Law, and Director, Institute for Public Representation, Georgetown University Law Center

The panelists discussed the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) pending Notice of Inquiry on media and children’s issues as well as questions about the FCC's and other agencies' jurisdiction in this area. Questions were also raised about the reach of the First Amendment and whether in the context of today's converged media platforms, there were defensible justifications to impose special rules on broadcasters versus other video providers. The panelists also discussed advertising issues and the impact on children, as well as various control mechanisms available to parents. Audience members participated in a very engaging question and answer session following the panelists’ presentations.

Please feel free to contact any of the CTLS steering committee members to volunteer on or suggest topics for future panels, such as Cloud Computing and the proposed National Broadband Plan. We also welcome any ideas for outreach activities to further the D.C. Bar and CTLS’ relationship with the Washington, DC community.

Finally, CTLS is seeking section members to serve on the steering committee. Please submit your résumé and the Candidate Interest Form to the D.C. Bar Sections Office by Thursday, February 4, 2010. We encourage all members—new and experienced—to apply.

Sincerely,

CTLS Steering Committee Members

Joy M. Ragsdale, Chair
Carolyn W. Brandon, Vice Chair
Nicholas Alexander
Matthew Brill
Emmitt Carlton
Lynn Charytan
Christopher Libertelli
Betsy McIntyre
Holly Sauer
Lynn Anderson (Community Outreach)
Diallo Crenshaw (Community Outreach)