FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski and former FCC Chairman Newton Minow to discuss telecom's future

Former FCC Chairman Newton Minow and current FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski will the next 50 years in telecommunications in a conversation moderated by George Washington School of Media and Public Affairs director Frank Sesno.

"From Wasteland to Broadband: A Conversation with Newton Minow and FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski," sponsored by The George Washington University Global Media Institute and the National Press Club's Eric Friedheim Journalism Library will be held Monday, May 9 from 7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. in the National Press Club Ballroom.

On May 9, 1961, 35-year-old Minow, newly appointed by President John F. Kennedy as Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, delivered a history making address to the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB). Minow told the NAB that much of what he saw on television was very good. He also said that at its worst, television was a "vast wasteland" and that the public interest demanded more.

During his tenure at the FCC, Newton Minow helped make possible the first telecommunications satellite and opened new television channels by requiring that all sets have UHF receivers. In the years since, he has worked to promote the public interest as chairman of PBS, a board member of CBS, and chairman and vice chairman of the U.S. Presidential debates.

On May 9, 2011, the 50th anniversary of his historic address, Minow will appear with current FCC Chairman Genachowski for a conversation about the impact of his seminal speech and what the next half-century of telecommunications will hold.

RSVP at [email protected], or call (202) 662-7524.