Fried Named Senior VP at MPAA

The Motion Picture Association of America announced Thursday
that Neil Fried had joined the trade group as senior VP of government and regulatory
affairs, reporting to Michael O'Leary, executive VP of global policy and
external affairs.

Most recently, Fried was chief counsel for communications
and technology for the House Energy & Commerce Committee, which had already
given him a send-off at a recent communications-related hearing. Fried was with
the committee for almost a decade.

"We are very excited to have Neil join our team," said MPAA chairman
Chris Dodd, himself a former Hill fixture as a senator from Connecticut. 
"Neil served with distinction on Capitol Hill, and I am confident he will lead
our federal advocacy efforts with the same track record for success he has
shown throughout his career.  We are delighted to have Neil advocating for
the film and television industry."

Fried's resume also includes representing communications
clients in private practice and as an attorney at the FCC.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.