NEWS RELEASE – THE MEDIA INSTITUTE
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For Release: June 3, 2013                    Contact: Richard T. Kaplar

MPAA Chairman and CEO Senator Chris Dodd
To Chair Free Speech Week Advisory Council

Washington, June 3 – The Media Institute and the Motion Picture Association of America Inc. (MPAA), announced today that MPAA Chairman and CEO Senator Chris Dodd will be the Chair of the 2013 Advisory Council for Free Speech Week (FSW), the nation’s premier celebration of free speech.

Free Speech Week is an annual event celebrated nationwide during the third week of October. It has traditionally featured panel discussions, events and other programs sponsored by the many participant organizations and intended to celebrate, promote, and protect free speech in America. This year’s Free Speech Week will take place Oct. 21-27.

Senator Dodd served in the U.S. Congress representing Connecticut for 36 years – six years in the House of Representatives and 30 years in the Senate. In 2011, he was named Chairman and CEO of the MPAA, which serves as the voice and advocate of the U.S. motion picture, home video, and television industries around the world.

“I am honored and delighted to head the Advisory Board and advocate for a cause that affects so many Americans in so many different industries, and remains fundamental to the core values of our country,” said Senator Dodd.  “The motion picture and television industry has always and will continue to be at the forefront of advancing free expression and encouraging creativity and innovation through the First Amendment; we welcome this opportunity to celebrate our steadfast commitment to these important principles.”

“Coming from an industry where creative expression is paramount, Senator Dodd brings a special appreciation for the value of free speech in our society,” said Media Institute President Patrick Maines.

Senator Dodd will be joined on the Free Speech Week Advisory Council by several other leaders in the media and entertainment industries, including:

  • Senator Gordon Smith, president and CEO, National Association of Broadcasters;
  • Michael Powell, president and CEO, National Cable & Telecommunications Association;
  • Caroline Little, president and CEO, Newspaper Association of America;
  • Bob Pittman, chairman and CEO, Clear Channel (last year’s chair of the FSW Advisory Council);
  • Cary Sherman, chairman and CEO, Recording Industry Association of America;
  • Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, Consumer Electronics Association;
  • Walter McCormick, president and CEO, USTelecom;
  • Mindy Hutchison, executive director, National Press Photographers Association.

Partner organizations in 2012 included a diverse collection of companies, educational institutions, trade associations, and advocacy groups such as The Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of  Free Expression, Bill of Rights Institute, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, AOL, the American Bar Association, and many others.  Companies, nonprofit groups, educational institutions, and individuals are encouraged to celebrate Free Speech Week by conducting their own free-speech activities during that week.

About the MPAA:
The Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. (MPAA) serves as the voice and advocate of the American motion picture, home video, and television industries from its offices in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.  Its members include: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures; Paramount Pictures Corporation; Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.; Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation; Universal City Studios LLC; and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

About The Media Institute and Free Speech Week:
The Media Institute is a nonprofit research foundation specializing in communications policy issues.  The Institute exists to foster three goals: freedom of speech, a competitive media and communications industry, and excellence in journalism.  Free Speech Week was created in 2005 by the Institute and the National Association of Broadcasters.  The Institute continues to promote FSW and manage its website, found at www.freespeechweek.org.

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For more information, contact:

MPAA Washington, D.C.
Howard Gantman
(202) 293-1966
Howard_Gantman@mpaa.org

The Media Institute
Richard T. Kaplar
(703) 243-5700
kaplar@mediainstitute.org