Summer Newsletter, Issue 2
The latest in media, telecom, and tech policy; broadband and social justice; and their impacts on our nation's most vulnerable communities.
This issue's features:
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MMTC Appoints New President and CEO
- Maurita Coley Flippin, Esq. Named MMTC President and CEO
Highlights from MMTC's 16th Annual Access to Capital and Telecom Policy Conference
- Hon. Mignon L. Clyburn Receives MMTC's Everett C. Parker Lifetime Achievement Award
- Hon. Tyrone Brown's Poignant Salute to Hon. Mignon L. Clyburn
- Davis Wright Tremaine, LLP Receives Distinguished Pro Bono Award
- MMTC Announces Hon. Henry M. Rivera Fellowship
- FCC Chairman Ajit Pai's Fireside Chat
- Hon. Richard Wiley's Fireside Chat with FCC Commissioners Brendan Carr and Michael O'Rielly
- Congressional Breakfast Discusses Tech Accountability, Online Privacy, and Diversity
- Telecom Experts Explore Next Generation Technology and Opportunities for Smart Cities and Entrepreneurs
- Financing Experts Weigh in on Equity Crowdfunding, Cryptocurrencies, Vendor Financing, and FinTech
- Special Thanks to Conference Sponsors, MMTC Board of Directors, Staff, and MMTC Board of Advisors
MMTC Media and Telecom Brokers
- Disruption and Opportunity in Broadcasting, Cable, and OTT at the Access to Capital and Telecom Policy Conference
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Mentoring Corner
- MMTC Welcomes Jonathan Banks, Community Service Intern from Benjamin Banneker Academic High School
- MMTC's Four Summer Legal Fellows Share Their Experiences
- MMTC Recruits Nine Digital Communications Professionals and Students from American University, Howard University, and Morehouse College to Serve as Social Media Ambassadors at the Access to Capital and Telecom Policy Conference
MMTC Law and Policy Initiatives
- MMTC Comments on FCC's s Unanimous Vote to Strengthen EEO Enforcement
- MMTC Vice President Dr. Rikin Thakker Comments on 5G
Apprenticeship Corner
- MMTC, NUL & WIA Discuss "The Future of Work" at the Access to Capital and Telecom Policy Conference
- MMTC Podcast Features NUL Vice President Ronald G. Marlow
- MMTC Leads EEO Webinar for Employees and Affiliates
Monthly Social Media Blogs
- Read Wakelet Blogs for June, July, and Access to Capital and Telecom Policy Conference Social Media Highlights
Invest in MMTC
- DONATE: Help MMTC Expand Its Work in Media, Telecom, and Tech
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MMTC Appoints New President and CEO
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Maurita Coley Flippin, Esq. Named MMTC President and CEO
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During MMTC's Access to Capital and Telecom Policy Conference, Board Chair and Treasurer Dr. Ronald Johnson introduced Maurita Coley Flippin, Esq., as the new President and CEO of MMTC.
“I look forward to working with MMTC’s board and stakeholders to sharpen our shared vision for MMTC’s role as a convener and subject matter expert on media and telecom policy, workforce development, bridging the skills gap, and advancing diversity and inclusion in the media, telecom, and tech sectors,” said Coley.
For more information, read the press release
here.
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Highlights from MMTC's 16th Annual
Access to Capital and Telecom Policy Conference
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On July 19, 2018, MMTC hosted the 16th Annual Access to Capital and Telecom Policy Conference at Hogan Lovells Conference Center in Washington, DC. The theme was "Turning Disruption into Opportunity." During the conference, media and telecom industry experts, innovators, and investors discussed the latest developments in tech accountability, online privacy, diversity, the future of work, innovative financing, spectrum, and next generation technology and opportunities for smart cities and entrepreneurs.
See conference highlights below.
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Hon. Mignon L. Clyburn Receives MMTC's Everett C. Parker Lifetime Achievement Award
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On July 19th, Hon. Mignon L. Clyburn, the first African American woman commissioner and first woman FCC Chair, received MMTC's highest honor, the Everett C. Parker Lifetime Achievement Award during the luncheon. Former
LULAC CEO Brent Wilkes, Former FCC Commissioner Tyrone Brown, and Congressman James Clyburn delivered remarks about Hon. Clyburn.
Watch the video
here
.
Visit the photo gallery
here.
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Hon. Tyrone Brown's Poignant Salute to Hon. Mignon L. Clyburn
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Hon. Tyrone Brown, former FCC Commissioner, paid tribute to Hon. Mignon L. Clyburn's accomplishments as the first African American woman commissioner and first woman FCC chair during the FCC Commissioners' Awards Luncheon. Hon. Clyburn received MMTC's highest honor, the Everett C. Parker Lifetime Achievement Award during the luncheon.
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Read Hon. Brown's remarks
here
.
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Davis Wright Tremaine LLP Receives MMTC's
Distinguished
Pro Bono Service Award
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Davis Wright Tremaine, LLP received MMTC's Distinguished Pro Bono Award during the FCC Commissioners' Awards Luncheon. Allison May, K.C. Halm, and Steven Horvitz of Davis Wright Tremaine accepted the award.
Thank you Davis Wright Tremaine!
Watch the video
here
.
Visit the photo galler
y
here.
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MMTC Announces
Hon. Henry M. Rivera Fellowship
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MMTC announced the Hon. Henry M. Rivera Fellowship, its newest fellowship for training media and telecom policy lawyers and professionals to advocate on behalf of multicultural, women, and underserved communities, at the Access to Capital and Telecom Policy Conference.
Show your support for the fellowship by making a donation
here
.
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Fireside Chat with
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai
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MMTC aired a fireside chat with FCC Chairman Ajit Pai had with MMTC Director of Communications Marcella Gadson about EEO, incubators, the FCC’s Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment, and the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee, and more.
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Hon. Richard Wiley's Fireside Chat with FCC Commissioners
Brendan Carr and Michael O'Rielly
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Hon. Richard Wiley, former FCC Chair, and Founding Partner, Wiley Rein LLP, moderated a fireside chat with FCC Commissioners Brendan Carr and Michael O'Rielly.
Watch the video
here
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Visit the photo gallery
here
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Congressional Breakfast Discusses Tech Accountability,
Online Privacy, and Diversity
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The
Congressional Breakfast
kicked off the Access to Capital and Telecom Policy Conference. Maurita Coley Flippin, President and CEO, MMTC, gave opening remarks. Hon. G.K. Butterfield, Co-Chair, Congressional Black Caucus Diversity Task Force and Member, U.S. House of Representatives; and Hon. Barbara Lee, Member, U.S. House of Representatives, gave remarks about their work on tech accountability, online privacy, and diversity.
Flippin moderated a panel discussion on tech accountability, online privacy, and diversity featuring panelists Alex Hoehn-Saric, Chief Counsel, House Energy and Commerce Committee Democrats; Hon. Angela Angel, Delegate, Maryland General Assembly, and Corresponding Secretary, National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women; and Hon. Clifford Stearns, Member of Congress Emeritus and Co-Chair of the MMTC Telecom and Internet Policy Task Force.
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Telecom Experts Explore Next Generation Technology and
Opportunities for Smart Cities and Entrepreneurs
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Ari Q. Fitzgerald, Partner, Hogan Lovells, and Secretary, MMTC Board of Directors, moderated the
Keeping Things in Per-Spectrum
panel. It featured Donna Epps, Vice President of Public Policy and Strategic Alliances, Verizon; Jacquelyn Puente, Executive Director, External Affairs, Comcast Corporation; Hank Hultquist, Vice President, Federal Regulatory, AT&T; Derek Khlopin, Senior Advisor, Office of the Assistant Secretary, NTIA; and S. Jenell Trigg, Member, Lerman Senter and Member, MMTC Board of Advisors. They discussed the challenges and incentives for cities and communities that are stimulating the deployment of advanced telecommunications technologies including unlicensed spectrum, the Citizens Broadband Radio Service auctions, and allocation schemes designed to reduce spectrum shortage.
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Financing Experts Weigh in on Equity Crowdfunding,
Cryptocurrencies, Vendor Financing, and FinTech
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Francisco Montero, Partner, Fletcher Heald & Hildreth, and MMTC Board Member, moderated the panel titled:
Innovative Financing: Friend or Foe to Diverse Entrepreneurs? Equity Crowdfunding, Cryptocurrencies, Vendor Financing, and FinTech
. Panelists included Sanford Williams, Director, FCC Office of Communications Business Opportunities; Aaron Saunders, CEO, Inclusive Innovation Incubator; Maureen Murat, CEO, Crowdie Advisors; William Michael Cunningham, Managing Partner, National Crowdfunding Services; and Diane Sutter, CEO, Shooting Star Broadcasting. Panelists discussed the potential and pitfalls of innovative funding strategies that have become available to entrepreneurs and startups in the evolving financing and technology landscape, and development opportunities for diverse suppliers.
At the end of the panel discussion, Howard University Blockchain Labs co-founder Alston Clark gave a presentation about his organization.
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Special Thanks to Conference Sponsors,
MMTC Board of Directors, Staff, and MMTC Board of Advisors
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MMTC thanks its sponsors for their generous support of the 16th Annual Access to Capital and Telecom Policy Conference. Sponsors included:
- Gold Sponsors: AT&T, BIA Kelsey, Comcast, and the National Urban League
- Silver Sponsors: Charter Communications and Verizon
- Bronze Sponsors: MPAA, NCTA, and SNL Kagan
- FCC Commissioners' Breakfast Sponsors: 21st Century Fox, Inc. and Spanish Broadcasting System
Special thanks to Ari Q. Fitzgerald, Partner, Hogan Lovells and MMTC Board Secretary, and Hogan Lovells for hosting the conference.
Go
here
to read the full list of sponsors.
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MMTC Media and Telecom Brokers
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Disruption and Opportunity in Broadcasting, Cable, and OTT
at the Access to Capital and Telecom Policy Conference
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MMTC Media & Telecom Brokers would like to
thank our moderator,
Nicolaine Lazarre, Esq., President, MMTC Broadcasting and General Counsel and Senior Vice President, National Urban League, and the panelists who participated in the provocation session titled:
Disruption and Opportunity: Reimagining Broadcasting, Cable, and OTT
during the Access to Capital and Telecom Policy Conference on July 19th. The panelists included Dr. Jayne Cubbage, Assistant Professor, Bowie State University; James Brown, Executive Vice President, Content Distribution, Revolt Media and TV; DuJuan McCoy, President and CEO, Bayou City Broadcasting; Melody Cooper, President, Midway Broadcasting; Victoria Jeffries, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, Public Policy, Univision; and James Winston, President, National Association of Black-Owned Broadcasters.
Each entrepreneur and expert on the panel discussed and highlighted how they view the impact of daily tech disruption, piracy, and other outside influences on broadcasting and the cable industry. They shared how they've had to adapt their business models to keep up the disruption. They had a lively discussion about the importance of diversity in media and telecom ownership in today's changing world.
Watch the panel video
here.
Visit the photo gallery
here.
About MMTC Media & Telecom Brokers:
As the nation's only nonprofit media and telecom brokerage, we invest time and effort in training a new generation of media and telecom entrepreneurs. So please think of us if you have a client or a friend looking to enter the broadcast business that needs a seasoned brokerage firm. We are dedicated to our cause of promoting diverse broadcast ownership in media, telecom, and tech.
Want to learn more about MMTC Media & Telecom Brokers?
Contact Suzanne Gougherty at
sgougherty@mmtconline.org
or David Honig at dhonig@mmtconline.org.
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MMTC Welcomes Jonathan Banks, Community Service Intern, from Benjamin Banneker Academic High School
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MMTC welcomes community service intern Jonathan Banks, a senior at
Benjamin Banneker Academic High School
in Washington, DC. Banks participated in Banneker High School's journalism program as a writer and graphic designer. He enjoys serving as a reading and math tutor to fourth and fifth graders at E.L Haynes Elementary School. After he graduates in 2019, he plans to attend college and become a mechanical engineer. He decided to intern at MMTC because of his interest in the field of computers, the internet, and how it works together in order to achieve a world full of technology and advancements. As an intern, his duties include administration, research, conference planning, and social media.
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MMTC's Four Summer Legal Fellows Share Their Experiences
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MMTC summer legal fellows played a major role in the planning and hosting of the Access to Capital and Telecom Policy Conference. They also made significant contributions to MMTC's law and policy initiatives. Read what they had to say about the projects they worked on and how their fellowship impacted them this summer.
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Keran Billaud, a third-year student at the University of Florida Levin College of Law:
I worked on the Santana Initiative to create a guide to using mobile video to document public events including voter protection and encounters with law enforcement. I helped draft sign-on letters for the PIRATE Act and concerning the predatory phone rates for separated families in detention centers. I also drafted comments in response to the FCC’s notice of proposed rulemaking for the Puerto Rico and USVI funds to rebuild infrastructure after last year’s devastating hurricane season. In the office, I worked on editing drafts of various documents, weekly preparation for MMTC’s annual conference, and making phone calls.
Over the summer, I learned firsthand how advocacy can make a difference at the federal level. Having this opportunity to work with MMTC helped me understand how federal administration law works and has inspired me to pursue this area of law.
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Shaytonna Bullock, a third-year student at Wake Forest Univeristy School of Law:
I primarily worked on the MMTC white paper entitled,
"Social Justice in the Big Data Era: Assuring Equality of Opportunity by Addressing Algorithmic Bias."
I also conducted legal research on matters like the implications of 5G Small Cell Deployment and the New Market Tax Credit as it relates to partnerships opportunities with media and telecom companies.
Working at MMTC was an amazing experience that exposed me to the far-reaching impact of decisions made by the FCC and leaders in the telecom and internet service industries. Before this experience, I was not privy to the ways in which internet service and telecommunications are at the heart of all local, national, and global communication and technology.
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Alexandra Milliard, a second-year student at the University of Florida Levin College of Law:
I worked on an ex-parte letter recapping discussions with the FCC commissioners or their staff about various topics on May 30th. I researched issues such as the repeal of the International Entrepreneur Rule and the passing of the Compassionate Calling Act, and was cited in a formal comment to the Department of Homeland Security. As a fellow I was also able to assist in the production of a panel for the Access to Capital and Telecom Policy Conference.
Working at MMTC showed me that being a lawyer requires you to wear many hats. You are not always working on legal projects or policy issues. I also learned the importance of networking firsthand. Attending the events with the staff and seeing how many people they knew and had relationships with was eye-opening.
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Bettina Tran, a third-year student at Florida A&M University College of Law:
My first project was writing an ex-parte letter when we visited the FCC on May 30
th
and made the eighth floor rounds with the commissioners. Thereafter I worked on the International Entrepreneur Parole Program also known as the International Entrepreneur Rule (“IER”) that was submitted to Skadden Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and ultimately filed to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. My next project was helping to create content and graphics for the Access to Capital and Telecom Policy Conference and produce the Innovative Financing panel. My last project was the C4 Project where I started calculating the number of minority-owned stations.
Working at MMTC was a huge eye-opening lesson for me. I learned a lot, and fast about the world of telecommunications and internet policy. The mini course that was programmed specifically for fellows and interns was a great way to introduce the rich history of telecom. I thoroughly enjoyed the personal interactions with all the MMTC staff and their willingness to teach me all the things I didn’t know.
My biggest takeaway would be that no matter what rank you are in law school, it doesn’t determine your ability to execute and perform tasks in the real world. Being dynamic and open to accept lessons by others will take you much further in life than having the perfect GPA, and MMTC helped me realized that about myself.
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MMTC Recruits Nine Digital Communications Professionals
and Students from American University, Howard University, and Morehouse College to Serve as Social Media Ambassadors
at the Access to Capital and Telecom Policy Conference
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MMTC recruited nine digital communications professionals and college students from American University, Howard University, and Morehouse College to promote the Access to Capital and Telecom Policy Conference in June and July. They included: Brooke Butler, Advocates for Youth; Lisa Flowers, Flowers Media Matters; Marcus Hundley, Morehouse College; Molly Gormley, American University; Rikki Kyle, American University; Samantha Jaffe, American University; Melissa Preudhomme, Howard University; Sidney Stewart, Howard University; and Jennifer Osias, Revolution Messaging. Hundley, Jaffe, Preudhomme, and Steward were able to attend the conference and provide live coverage.
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MMTC Law and Policy Initiatives
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MMTC Comments on FCC's Unanimous Vote to
Strengthen EEO Enforcement
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The FCC issued an order on July 24th that concluded it will serve the public interest and improve the Commission’s operations to move the audit and enforcement responsibilities associated with its equal employment opportunity (EEO) rules from the Media Bureau to the Enforcement Bureau. The order codified a recommendation made by MMTC and 32 other national civil rights and social justice organizations (the “EEO Supporters”). In response to the order, MMTC President and CEO Maurita Coley Flippin stated,
“The FCC’s decision to move EEO enforcement from the Media Bureau to the Enforcement Bureau on an historic 50th Anniversary is powerful in its symbolism, and it sends the message that the FCC cares about diversity and inclusion in the regulated communications industries. But the fact that an FCC that is often divided on communications policy issues can unanimously agree on equal employment opportunity sends a good message.”
For more information, read MMTC's press release
here
.
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MMTC Vice President Dr. Rikin Thakker Comments on 5G
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Dr. Rikin Thakker, MMTC Vice President of Telecommunications and Spectrum Policy, and a member of the Wireless Infrastructure Association's Innovation and Technology Council, shared his comments in a Daily Commercial News article, "Constructing 5G wireless network will require plenty of skilled tradespeople."
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MMTC, NUL & WIA Discuss "The Future of Work" at the
Access to Capital and Telecom Policy Conference
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During the Access to Capital and Telecom Policy Conference, MMTC held a panel on
The Future of Work: Turning Disruption into Opportunity
. The session included a discussion of apprenticeship as a solution to closing the wealth and skills gaps in diverse communities, and a discussion of the Wireless Infrastructure Apprenticeship Access Initiative (WIAAI), a consortium funded by the U.S. Department of Labor and led by the National Urban League in partnership with the Wireless Infrastructure Association and MMTC. Ron Marlow (NUL), Dr. Rikin Thakker (MMTC), and Deb Bennett (WIA) represented the WIAAI Consortium. Other participants included Spencer Overton, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies; Brandi Colander, Charter Communications; and Debbie Goldman, Communications Workers of America.
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MMTC Podcast Features NUL Vice President Ronald G. Marlow
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On the latest episode of the MMTC Podcast, Ronald G. Marlow, Vice President for Workforce Development at the National Urban League (NUL), discussed NUL’s apprenticeship partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA), and MMTC. During the interview, Marlow shared the successes NUL, WIA, and MMTC have been able to achieve this year, Urban League affiliates’ participation in the DOL apprenticeship contract, and the type of technical assistance the Wireless Infrastructure Apprenticeship Access Initiative consortium can provide to local and national employers to increase diversity in the workplace. At the end of the interview, he told the listening audience about the key points he addressed during MMTC’s Access to Capital and Telecom Policy Conference’s session on The Future of Work: Turning Innovation into Opportunity on July 19th.
Listen to the podcast
here
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MMTC Leads EEO Webinar for Employees and Affiliates
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During the summer months, MMTC and WIAAI Consortium hosted multiple trainings via webinar for employers and Urban League (UL) Affiliates on compliance with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)regulations for registered apprenticeships under 29 CFR Part 30. In total, WIAAI trained 11 companies and more than 5 UL Affiliates on EEO and 29 CFR 30 compliance. The Consortium has begun follow-up calls with some companies to provide Technical Assistance on EEO compliance.
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MMTC Monthly Social Media Blog
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Read Wakelet Blog for June, July, and Access to Capital
and Telecom Policy Conference Highlights
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Learn more about MMTC's work by visiting our Wakelet Blog:
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DONATE: Help Expand MMTC's Work in Media, Telecom & Tech
With our nonpartisan values of diversity and inclusion, MMTC continues to pursue our work with great determination notwithstanding our modest resources.
MMTC offers our sincere appreciation for support in helping us deliver our world-class advocacy, convenings, and policy leadership in industries regulated by the Federal Communications Commission.
TO SUPPORT MMTC, YOU CAN:
- Help the next generation of media and telecom lawyers and policy professionals to advocate on behalf of our nation's multicultural, women, and underserved communities by investing in the new Henry M. Rivera Fellowship
- Make a donation to general support
MMTC is recognized by the IRS under 26 U.S.C. §501(c)(3). All contributions are tax-deductible.
Thank You - Your support makes it possible for MMTC to serve as an advocate for diversity, inclusion and equal opportunity in the nation’s most important industries!
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