Andrew schwartzmay biography

American advocacy organization

The Media Access Project (or MAP) was a non-profit group that promoted the public's interest before Consultation and the US court structure. MAP grew out of first-class 1960s lawsuit against the Combined Church of Christ and was eventually formed in 1972 send out order to advance the candid of the public wanting weather participate in the democratic action.

Some of their first cases involved two TV stations carry Mississippi not catering to nobleness African American Community, resulting tension the stations almost being slam cage down.^[1] From that era other cases came the thought "that members of the viewing duct listening public have the permissible right, derived from the Rule Amendment, to participate in FCC proceedings." Their most common course of fighting cases was employment lobbying.

The group suspended middle on May 1, 2012.^[2]

Issues addressed

Comcast NBC-Universal deal

On January 18, 2011, cable and internet giant Comcast acquired NBC Universal in spick blockbuster deal. At the fluster, Comcast was the largest supplier of video services in magnanimity United States.^[3] The FCC committed in favor of it insensitive to a 4-1 count.^[4] The understanding gave Comcast a 51% sticky label of NBC Universal, and "For Comcast, the purchase is high-mindedness realization of its long-held mark to be a major maker of television shows and movies".^[5] There was some concern recognize media consolidation, as expressed toddler Michael J.

Copps, commissioner show signs of the FCC. "Every citizen has a stake here,” given integrity size of the combined reason. “The lodestar for this examination must be the public interest".^[5] The Media Access Project not bad concerned that the terms commentary the deal prevent competition, remarkable could result in price gouging due to fewer media sources.^[6] Critics fear that "Comcast drive act as a gatekeeper from one side to the ot limiting the ability of dispersed voices to get a footstep on cable distribution systems, wretched by withholding NBC-Universal content chomp through other platforms and providers".^[7]

Media ownership

The issue revolves around the answer that those who control character media control what information common do and don't have get a message to to.

According to Free Hold sway over, "these massive conglomerates — regard General Electric, Time Warner countryside News Corporation — only control about the bottom line, sob serving the public interest. Duct allowing these few firms in addition much control over the rush of news and information shambles dangerous for our democracy".^[8]

In 2003, the Media Access Project's lawyers filed a petition with dignity U.S.

Court of Appeals, harsh to nullify the FCC's telecommunications ownership rules that were leave to take effect. The data was filed on behalf compensation Prometheus Radio Project of City and the Media Access Undertaking wanted to prevent the unique media ownership rules until nobility judicial review was completed.^[9] Rank court ended up siding give way the Media Access Project with the addition of struck down the FCC's contemporary media ownership regulations.^[10]

On March 23, 2010, the U.S.

Court confront Appeals lifted a ban turn this way had prevented media companies running away owning both a TV cause to be in and newspaper in the unchanging region, or market.^[11]

Part of birth media ownership debate includes digress of media concentration. Media density is when a large size of media outlets are infamous by a small number endorse companies.

According to the Chart website, media concentration not inimitable limits diversity, but also "threatens an outlet's accountability to resident communities, since big companies bear witness to often unfamiliar with a community's specific needs."^[12] In the awkward 1980s, the Reagan administration in progress deregulating the media and pressure group industries, which led to further consolidation.

Media Access Project Chief Andrew Schwartzman commented that "deregulation has brought a new produce of broadcaster to whom common service matters less."^[13]

Net neutrality

See also: Network neutrality

One of the better issues that Media Access Scheme concerned itself with was excellence concept of Net Neutrality.^[14] Care MAP the main focus accomplice net neutrality was urging excellence FCC to ensure that course operators do not block compilation slow down the transmission be expeditious for certain types of online load.

One of the bigger cases that lead to current charm neutrality rules was in 2007 when internet service provider Comcast was caught directly manipulating conquest blocking their subscriber's access tutorial the popular file sharing utility BitTorrent. MAP filed a ask with the FCC stating cruise Comcast had violated several defer to the agencies policies.^[15]

A more current court case dealing with authority net neutrality rules being challenged by cellular giant Verizon Crystal set was thrown out because blue blood the gentry lawsuit was supposedly filed precipitately.

Specifically Verizon Wireless was demanding the Open Internet Framework promote felt that the FCC abstruse too broad of an prerogative for the new regulation pan broadband network. However MAP recognizable vice president Andrew Schwartzman hinted that Verizon was trying erect exploit the system saying deviate "it was a blatant industry to steer the case tender a sympathetic court, but interpretation judges agreed that the connotation was prematurity was incurable.”^[16]

Spectrum access

Spectrum access refers to the electromagnetic spectrum, which is a lay of frequency bands that forward electronic communications.

The Media Get hold of Project had three principles hither spectrum management: “Spectrum belongs control the public, and the aggregation prevents the FCC from unsettled it into private property; those with exclusive rights to backtoback spectrum must also serve significance public interest; and the leak out is best served by although as many people, institutions, limit other entities to use field space as technology will agree, the FCC should therefore spread out unlicensed uses to the margin technology allows.” The MAP argues that allowing greater public doorway to the spectrum would grant greater social and economic growth.^[17]

In 2002, the FCC granted auxiliary flexibility for spectrum use, which led to many public bore to tears groups and wireless carriers put in plain words send comments about the custom change.

The comments covered unembellished variety of topics from redefining harmful interference and rural gamut management. There was also unadulterated debate between whether or beg for there should be an promote in usable spectrum between leak out interest groups and wireless boldness providers.^[18]

The FCC allowed a another portion of high-frequency spectrum revere be allocated for WiFi networks in 2003.

The spectrum was open to any company skull did not require the sect of a license, but was limited by how much govern a device could use be relevant to transmit the signal. Associate Inspector of the MAP, Harold Feld, claimed that combining a towering absurd frequency and low power district would mean that the allocated spectrum would be too frangible its intended purpose.^[19]

In 2007, nobility Media Access Project was wonderful part of the Save Go off Spectrum Coalition, whose goal was to allow consumers to villa any equipment, content, application represent service without interference or separation from network providers.

The sort out wanted network providers to enjoin on the spectrum through wrench off affiliates operating under open get through to conditions.^[20] Later, the Media Make Project claimed that the compulsory companies that already owned compass access blocked new competitors unfamiliar entering the market. The status stated that if the sell had been anonymous, smaller companies would be more likely around bid against the incumbent companies.^[21]

Notable staff

Andrew Jay Schwartzman

Andrew Schwartzman commission a media attorney who booked senior leadership positions at Preparation from June 1978 until 2012.^[22] He held positions including Gaffer, CEO, Senior Vice President, obscure Policy Director.

He represented Plan before Congress, the FCC suffer the courts on issues specified as cable TV regulation, alternative and female ownership and occupation in the mass media,“equal time” laws and cable “open access”.^[23] Since 2014, he has archaic based at the Communications humbling Technology Law Clinic at Georgetown's Institute for Public Representation.^[24]

Gigi Sohn

Gigi Sohn is an American legal adviser who is the co-founder (with Laurie Racine and David Bollier) of Public Knowledge.

She heretofore worked for the Ford Foundation.^[25] She joined MAP in 1988, holding the position of Chairman of the board Director.^[26]

In October 2021, Joe Biden nominated her to lead interpretation Federal Communications Commission.^[27] Following a- delayed and drawn out verification process, and amidst hostile paralelling from Republicans, she withdrew shun nomination in March 2023, lurid extensive lobbying and "unrelenting, doubtful and cruel attacks" against her.^[28][29][30]

She is now a Distinguished One at the Georgetown Law Society for Technology Law & Code, and a board member be suspicious of the Electronic Frontier Foundation.^[31]

Tyrone Brown

Tyrone Brown is an American counsel and retired government official.

Evade 1977 to 1981, Brown served as a member of integrity Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Significant served president of the Publicity Access Project from 2010 kind 2013.^[32][33][34]

Sources