Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Robert M. McDowell will speak at Duke Thursday, Feb. 14, at 1:30 p.m. on the role of government regulation in the media industry. The talk in Room 139 of the Social Sciences Building is free and open to the public.
McDowell was appointed to the FCC in 2006 by President George W. Bush. Prior to his appointment he worked as a lawyer for a telecommunications trade association group. He is a 1985 graduate of Duke.
In his speech, McDowell will address how the FCC decides to adjust its regulations, weighing factors such as local focus, competition, diversity of viewpoint, content and ownership.
The event is being hosted by the Duke Department of Economics as its annual Johnson Lecture. The organizer is Michelle Connolly, a former chief economist for the FCC and an associate professor of the practice in economics at Duke.