February 02, 2017

    Jack Abernethy, CEO of FOX Television Stations, to speak at ABA communications law conference

    WASHINGTON, Feb. 2, 2017 — Jack Abernethy, CEO of FOX Television Stations, LLC, and co-president of FOX News, will be the keynote speaker at the American Bar Association Forum on Communications Law  22nd Annual Conference to be held Thursday, Feb. 10, in New Orleans. 

    Abernethy will discuss the future of broadcast and cable television during a luncheon at 12:30 p.m.

    What:  
    22nd Annual Conference
    Sponsored by the ABA Forum on Communications Law

    When: 
    Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 9-11

    Where:
    Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel
    2 Poydras St.
    New Orleans, LA  70130

    Program highlights include:

    Friday

    “Does the Internet Risk Bankrupting the First Amendment? Evaluating the Hulk Hogan v. Gawker Verdict on the Anniversary of Reno v. ACLU” — This panel will review whether the debate over online expression compromises First Amendment protections.  Panelists include the moderator, Charles D. Tobin, partner, Holland & Knight; and panelists: Bertrand de La Chapelle, director and co-founder, The Internet & Jurisdiction Project; Heather Dietrick, president, Gizmodo Media Group; Jane E. Kirtley, director, Silha Center for the Study of Media Ethics and Law, University of Minnesota; Kenneth G. Turkel, partner, Bajo Cuva Cohen Turkel; Seth P. Waxman, partner, WilmerHale and former U.S. Solicitor General.
    9:15-10:45 a.m.

    “From Human Cannonballs to Videogames: Forty Years after Zacchini v. Scripps-Howard” — This panel will examine the U.S. Supreme Court’s only decision on a right-of-publicity claim, which was decided 40 years ago. The case still impacts current litigation which involves athletes, celebrities and video game designers.
    11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

    Saturday

    “Is the First Amendment Flunking Out of College?” — Panelists will discuss the recent outcry over student speech and faculty speech on university campuses following student protests, reviewing the doctrine, politics and policy of the First Amendment. Moderator Jack Weiss, counsel, Liskow & Lewis, will be joined by Benjamin Holden, assistant professor, University of Illinois/Urbana-Champaign College of Media; Azhar Majeed, staff attorney, Foundation for Individual Rights in Education; William Powers, counsel, at Jackson Walker; L. Lee Tyner, general counsel, University of Mississippi; Judge Kim Wardlaw, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Pasadena, Calif. 9:45-11:15 a.m.

    The complete agenda can be found online.

    This event is open to members of the press. For media credentialing, please contact Betsy Adeboyejo at Betsy.Adeboyejo@americanbar.org.

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