Broadband and Cable Industry Law 2010
Practising Law Institute
PLI California Center
685 Market Street
San Francisco, California 94105
Mar. 1 - 2, 2010
http://www.pli.edu/product/seminar_detail.asp?id=59227
Day One: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Morning Session: 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
9:00 Program Overview
Tara Corvo
9:15 Overview: Changes for Cable in 2010
- What do we see from the new FCC and new Congress?
- How do their priorities and approach differ from those of their predecessors?
- What will be the "hot topics" of 2010 for cable?
- The National Broadband Plan: where does cable fit?
- Implications for broadband policy?
- Implications for video?
- How will broadband stimulus funding affect your business?
Daniel L. Brenner, W. Kenneth Ferree, Gigi B. Sohn
10:15 TV Everywhere and Other Cross-Platform Proposals and IP Video
- What are the latest developments in content distribution?
- What are the communications/copyright law issues raised by the delivery of IP video to PC and ultimately directly to televisions?
- Implications of programmers' deals with cable operators to allow cable subscribers exclusive access to the nets online?
Parul P. Desai, Michael E. Olsen
11:15 Networking Break
11:30 Access to Cable Plant and Programming
Net neutrality issues:
- What constitutes reasonable network management?
- Should there be additional net neutrality principles?
Program access issues:
- Will the FCC eliminate the terrestrial exception to the program access rules?
- Do competitors have a right to access HD programming if they already have the SD stream?
Marvin Ammori, Lesla J. Lehtonen, Lynn R. Charytan
12:30 Lunch
Afternoon Session: 1:45 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
1:45 Franchising 2010
- Is there a continued role for municipalities in cable regulation as everything moves to the Internet?
- How have the new statewide franchise laws around the country affected cable operators and municipalities?
- What is the role of franchising authorities in cable operator decisions to move PEG and other analog channels to digital-only?
Kenneth S. Fellman, Michael Morris, Chris Vein
2:45 Networking Break
3:00 Voice Competition: IP Interconnection
- Should VoIP providers be able to obtain interconnection directly rather than through a competitive local exchange carrier?
- Should competitors be able to demand IP-to-IP interconnection
- What are implications of incumbent telco migration to VoIP for 1996 Act interconnection regime?
- Should IP-to-IP interconnection be subject to the rights and obligations applicable to traditional interconnection or left to private negotiations?
Joe Gillan, Brian A. Rankin
4:00 Cable Content Regulation: Indecency, Children's Programming, Product Placement
- Indecency, product placement, children's television regulation - how has the law developed over the last year?
- Is there a need for more content regulation? Does the distinction between broadcast and cable remain valid?
- Will programmers end up more directly regulated by FCC?
Diane Burstein, Robert Corn-Revere, Tim Winter
5:00 Adjourn
Day Two: 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
9:00 Antitrust Issues in Communications Policy
- Do ILECs and broadband providers control "essential facilities"?
- Should programming be offered on an "a la carte" basis to distributors? to retail consumers?
- How should DOJ and the FCC approach media industry mergers?
Robert A. Sacks, Harvey I. Saferstein
10:15 Networking Break
10:30 Latest in Privacy Issues
- What privacy issues are raised by behavioral and targeted advertising (video and internet)?
- What type of customer consent should be required for participation?
- How do new technologies raise new privacy concerns?
Christin S. McMeley, David Sohn
11:30 Developments in Cable Technology
- What does the recent DVR decision mean for the industry?
- How will persons with disabilities access new technologies and services over the Internet, video, and phone? Will new regulation be required?
- What's next?
Jud Cary, Paul Glist
12:30 Adjourn