Trump’s newly appointed FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to Headline MMTC’s 8th Annual Broadband and Social Justice Summit – February 7th

 Technology   Sat, January 28, 2017 11:17 AM

Washington, DC – America’s Minority Media and Telecommunications Council (MMTC) will again convene top decision makers impacting the nation’s internet, communications, technology and digital future to discuss the latest policy developments on February 7, 2017 at the Westin Georgetown Hotel.

Opening the Summit with the FCC Commissioner’s Breakfast at 8am will be newly appointed Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, Commissioners Mignon Clyburn and Michael O’Rielly.  In addition the panel on ‘Moving the Dial Forward’ includes presentations by MMTC President Kim Keenan; Former Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate; Nexstar Media CEO Perry Sook; and Ari Fitzgerald, a partner at Hogan Lovells.

Commenting on Chairman Pai appointment, Jim Keenan reflected that as an FCC Commissioner, Pai “ has been on the right side of a number of supported by MMTC, including a host of practical approaches to advancing diversity and inclusion, relaxation of broadcast foreign investment rules and authorization of FM translators for struggling AM stations”. He went on to say Pai’s “proposals for incentivizing broadband investment in underserved communities are grounded in the best work of Jack Kemp. Moreover, he has demonstrated a willingness to consider moving away from ‘silos’ in communication industries toward platform neutrality.” Keenan thinks this outlook has the potential to open doors to more ownership opportunities for people of color.

The daylong conference will also host panels on:

  • Apprenticeships, Broadband, Infrastructure & 5G at 9:45am
  • Social Justice and the FCC at 11am
  • High Tech Policy discussion at the Awards Luncheon at noon
  • A Broadband and Social Justice Town Hall on the New Political Climate and its Impact on Digital, Financial and Socio-Economic Disparity in our Communities with a Call to Action at 1:45pm followed by
  • A FinTech Empowerment Forum on Bridging the Gaps between Access and Opportunity
  • Part I: FinTech Business Models that Promote Access to Opportunity
  • Part II: Diverse FinTech Founders Circle

The Summit concludes at 6pm with the Broadband and Social Justice FinTech Empowerment Awards Reception honoring Diverse Champions in Media, Telecom and Tech. 

Other featured speakers include:

  • Hon. Michael Copps
  • Hon. Reed Hundt
  • Hon. Richard Wiley
  • Hon. Marc Morial
  • Congresswoman Yvette Clarke
  • Kelvin Boston from PBS TV
  • Monique Pressley with the Pressley Firm
  • Brent Wilkes of LULAC
  • Rosa Mendoza of HTTP
  • Debra Berlyn with Project GOAL and
  • Yvette Butler from Capital One Investing

The Minority Media and Telecommunications Council (MMTC) created the Broadband and Social Justice (BBSJ) Summit in 2010 to serve as a forum to highlight broadband and telecom inequities as well as to encourage action on policy advancement. Today the summit has expanded to embrace issues related to FinTech Empowerment.

To register or for full summit agenda information go to http://mmtconline.org/bbsj-summit-2017

 

CONTACT:
T.L. Oliver
thomas@ediversity.net

MMTC Director of Communications
Marcella Gadson
mgadson@mmtconline.org
202 332 0500
 
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