The First International RCC J. B. Conant Conference “Media, Democracy and Public Interest” at the Real Colegio Complutense, Harvard University on December 8 & 9, 2007.

Does media ownership affect democracy?

Participants: Nolan Bowie (RCC JB Conant Group & KSG, Harvard University), Vincent Mosco (Queens’s University, Canada), Rose Moss (Nieman Foundation & Harvard Law School), Pippa Norris (KSG, Harvard University), Dennis Mazzocco (Hofstra University), Alberto González Pascual (Introduction. RCC JB Conant Group, Manager of I+D Projects. Sogecable Broadcasting Corporation & Complutense University of Madrid), David G. Gil (The Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University), Marvin Ammori (Free Press), Joseph Tovares (WGBH Boston), Rafael Rodríguez Prieto (RCC J.B. Conant Group, Visiting Scholar KSG, Harvard University & Pablo de Olavide University of Seville) Álvaro Pérez-Ugena (RCC JB Conant Group & King Juan Carlos University) & Jerry Villacres (El Planeta).

The First International RCC J.B. Conant Seminar “Media, Democracy and Public Interest” at the Real Colegio Complutense, Harvard University on December 8 & 9, 2007.

FREE, OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, IN ENGLISH.

Location: RCC Conference Room 26 Trowbridge Street, Cambridge , MA (corner of Harvard Street ).

Seminar Schedule:

Saturday (first day).

9:00-9:30 Registration (if you want a certificate of attendance)

9:30-10:00 Introduction. Angel Saenz Badillos, RCC Director. Nolan Bowie, RCC J.B. Conant Group & KSG, Harvard University.

10:00-12:45 First Panel: “Does the Media Ownership affect Democracy (I). Public Interest and Ownership.”

Participants:

Vincent Mosco (Queens’s University, Canada)

Rose Moss (Nieman Foundation & Harvard Law School)

Pippa Norris (KSG, Harvard University)

Dennis Mazzocco (Hofstra University)

Alberto González Pascual (Introduction. RCC JB Conant Group, Manager of I+D Projects. Sogecable Broadcasting Corporation & Complutense University of Madrid)

Lunch: 12:45-1:45

1:45-4:00 Second Panel: “Does the Media Ownership affect Democracy (I). Public Interest and Ownership (II). Human Needs, media consolidation and democracy.”

Participants:

Nolan Bowie (RCC JB Conant Group & KSG, Harvard University)

David G. Gil (The Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University)

Marvin Ammori (Free Press)

Joseph Tovares (WGBH Boston)

Rafael Rodriguez Prieto (Introduction. RCC J.B. Conant Group, Visiting Scholar KSG, Harvard University & Pablo de Olavide University of Seville)

Sunday (Second day).

9:30-12:15 First Panel: “Does the Media Ownership affect Democracy (III). Civic, Education, Social Class, and Minorities

Participants:

Álvaro Pérez-Ugena (RCC JB Conant Group & King Juan Carlos University)

Jerry Villacres (El Planeta)

Alberto González Pascual (RCC JB Conant Group, Manager of I+D Projects. Sogecable Broadcasting Corporation & Complutense University of Madrid)

Rafael Rodríguez Prieto (RCC J.B. Conant Group, Visiting Scholar KSG, Harvard University & Pablo de Olavide University of Seville)

Manuel Núñez Encabo (Introduction. RCC JB Conant Group, Economic and Social Council of Spain & Complutense University of Madrid)

Lunch: 12:15-1:15

1:15-2:00 Conclusions. RCC JB Conant Group.

For more information: rccgrp07@camail.harvard.edu

Visit our blog: http://rccconantgroup.blogspot.com/

Local Organizers:

Elizabeth Kline rcc-info@camail.harvard.edu

Rafael Rodríguez Prieto Rafael_Rodriguez_Prieto@ksg.harvard.edu

The First International J.B. Conant Seminar “Media, Democracy and Public Interest” at the Real Colegio Complutense, Harvard University on December 8 & 9, 2007.

Speakers include: Nolan Bowie (Harvard University), Vincent Mosco (Queens’s University, Canada), Pippa Norris (Harvard University), Dennis Mazzocco (Hofstra University), David G. Gil (Brandeis University), Marvin Ammori (Free Press), Manuel Núñez Encabo (Complutense University of Madrid), Jerry Villacres (El Planeta)..

FREE, OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, IN ENGLISH.

Does media ownership affect democracy?

The public's right to information and ideas from the widest possible range of sources is one of the fundamental pillars of democracy. This seminar explores the relationship among media, public interest and democracy in the light of the current reality (FCC’s politics, First Amendment right, media ownership, etc.). Has the concentration of media ownership in recent decades in the hands of a few corporations led to a narrowing of the range of voices and opinions being expressed in the mass media? What are the consequences of media ownership in society? What about the digital divide?

JB Conant Group: Preparing for the December International Conference

Coming soon!!!

The First International J.B. Conant Seminar “Media, Democracy and Public Interest” at the Real Colegio Complutense, Harvard University on December 8 & 9, 2007.

Manuel Núñez Encabo's Lecture, RCC, July 25th, 2007

"Media Ethics and Media Regulation (The Self-regulation Challenge) in the European Union"

Video: first part

second part

Round Table on Hispanic Media in the USA, RCC, July 24, 2007

"Challenges of Hispanic Media in the USA"

Guests: Jerry Villacres (El Planeta), Javier Marín (Owner of El Planeta), Joseph Tovares (WGBH)

Video, first part

second part

third part

Alberto González Pascual's lecture, RCC, July 23, 2007

"New Media, Emotional Connections and the Culture of the Public Service Broadcasting"

Video: first part

second part

third part

fourth part

Rafael Rodriguez Prieto's lecture, RCC, July 20th, 2007

"Media Consolidation and Public Interest. Rethinking BM's (Berlusconi & Murdoch) Doctrine"

Video: first part

Second part

Third part

RCC, July 19th, 2007. Meeting of the J.B. Conant Group with Peter Lee, Healthy Communities

Preliminary Meeting: First J. B. Conant Conference Media and Public Interest, RCC, December 8,9, 2007

Guests: Dan Gillmor, Rose Moss

Video: first part

second part

third part

fourth part

RCC J.B. Conant Advanced Research Group at Harvard University visits CBS

MaggieMulvihill (CBS, Reporter-Team Producer) Álvaro Pérez Ugena, Alberto González Pascual and Rafael Rodríguez Prieto.

Maria Pérez-Ugena's lecture, RCC, July 17th 2007

"European and American Institution of Media Regulation.

A Critical Analysis through the Gender Perspective"

Video: first part

second part

Manuel Núñez Encabo's lecture, RCC, July 16th, 2007

"The European Convention on Human Rights and the First Amendment of the American Constitution"

First part

Second part

Rafael Rodriguez Prieto and Jose Maria Seco's lecture, RCC, July 11th, 2007

"Normativist Reductionism or Normativist Entrenchment. A critical analysis of the Media Legal Reform"

part one

part two

The Challengues of Public Broadcasting:

Alberto Gonzalez claims ¨The challenge for the PBS in the USA is to get a well-funded and robust public service broadcasting. How can PBS get its independence for the regular cycle -three years: a year of appropriations and two years of authorization- from the Congress and/or the White House? The answer is clear: From a federal trust fund to provide at least $2billion in annual revenue for this service in perpetuity. With this level of budget, you can compete in the market and reach a 4 or 5% of share. Where is this money? Well..., go and check the federal surplus or create a new tax on broadcast advertising. Then, this service will be known and appreciated for the community, then PBS could build a new scheduling with a popular and high level entertainment shows..., buy sports rights and more... A new financial model is the first step of the solution to save PBS, and get more democracy in this country.¨

Learn more about public broadcasting:

www.rtve.es
www.pbs.org

J. B. Conant Round Table, RCC, July 9th, 2007

"The Challenges of Public Broadcasting."

Video, part one

part two

Alvaro Perez-Ugena's second lecture, RCC, July 6th, 2007

"The Cost of Ethics. CMT, Red.es & Ad Self-control."

First part

Second part

J. B. Conant Group Workshop: RCC, June 29th, 2007

"The Challenges of the Digital Change and the Public Interest. Free Speech and Free Markets. First Amendment Opportunism?"

Speakers: Patrick C. Hogan, David G. Gil, Nolan Bowie, Alvaro Pérez-Ugena . Mod. Rafael Rodríguez Prieto



Workshop: First part
Second part
Third part
Fourth part

Audiovisual Councils in Spain

CAAConsejo Audiovisual de Andalucía
www.consejoaudiovisualdeandalucia.es

CoAN
Consejo Audiovisual de Navarra
www.consejoaudiovisualdenavarra.es


CAC
Consejo Audiovisual de Cataluña
www.cac.cat

Ministerio de Industria, Turismo y Comercio
www.mityc.es/mediosaudiovisuales

Spanish Law 1. Mass media
Spanish Law 2. Freedom of speech
Spanish Law 3. Rights of minors

Visits:

July 12. Brad S. Epps. Romance Languages & Literature. Harvard University.

July 12. Michael Selig. Visual & Media Arts. Emerson College.

July 11. Jonathan Zittrain. The Bekman Center for Internet & Society. HLS.

July 11. Stacey Dogan. Notheastern University School of Law.

July 10. James Der Derian. Global Media Project. Brown University.

June 19. Bob Giles Curator. Nieman Foundation. Harvard University.

June 18. Merilee S. Grindle. Director, Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies.

June 18. David Kennedy. Director, European Law Research Center. Harvard University.

June 18. Terry Fisher. Director. Berkman Center at HLS.

Meeting with Cambridge Activists

Politics and Public Interest I

Politics and Public Interest II

Alvaro Pérez-Ugena's lecture, RCC, June 11th, 2007

Childhood and Media Responsibility (Complete)

Alvaro Pérez-Ugena's lecture, RCC, June 11th, 2007

Politics and Media special event, June 13, 2007

RCC, Friday June 15th, 2007

Meeting of the J.B. Conant Group at 3:30 pm

Goals of the Group

1. The general goal of this Advanced Research Group is to analyze the social, political and economic consequences of the current reforms in the audiovisual sectors in the main European countries (Spain, Great Britain, Germany, France and Italy) in the process of construction of the EC, paying attention to the fundamental values of equality and pluralism. The tendencies detected in these reforms indicate an increasing process of normative deregulation to deregulate the audiovisual market and to boost productivity, capital investment, and technological innovation. The deadline for these reforms will be the year 2010, when the analogical television will end in the EU and the total digitalization will start. One of the possible consequences of the progressive deregulation could be the disbanding of the European public televisions.

2. The second goal of this research will be to analyze the current model of the audiovisual sector in the United States, particularly the role given to the public television as a service of public interest, since in 1967 the Carnegie Commission (in which an old President of Harvard University, James B. Conant, participated) drafted a report that suggested to create a public service of radio and television for those people who could not have it in some other ways, and to support actively the cultural diversity in USA. The group will also study the level of responsibility assumed by the private media in defence of the rights of consumers and the constitutional values. For this reason, it will be very useful the analysis of regulation carried out from the competent organs (the anti-trust legislation, the rules that limit the concentration of media and the methods of license renewal for broadcasting) in order to preserve pluralism, the freedom of the press and the access of minorities.

3. The third goal is the one referred to the influence and impact that the contents of the American mass media industry have on the making of the public opinion, the civic education in democratic values and citizenship. We will analyze the construction of implicit messages in the products of both sides of the Atlantic in connection with the liberalizing process supported by the legislative and economic reforms in progress. We will carry out an analysis of the emergent tendencies in educative applications and social integration of minorities through the mass media with the arrival of digital and interactive technologies.

4. Finally, this research group will bear the criteria, recommendations and decisions of the I and II Carnegie Committees in 1966 and 1967 in mind, supported by the Carnegie Foundation of New York, to create the PBS. The aim of these committees was to clarify the advisability or not of a television public service able to carry out an educative function, and unify/unite citizenship participation in the political decision-taking. This group will try to analyse if the troubles that that committee had then still persist and if the scene has changed so much that his decisions and recommendations are not valid any more in the present media scene or, if, on the contrary, they are still relevant. This analysis would be compared to the governmental and independent initiatives, similar to the Carnegie Committees developed in Spain and UK during 2004 and 2005 and that tried to define what the television public service is and the role this service must perform in the development of society.