• On December 19 1998 the Moscow Media Law and Policy Centre together with the Law Section of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR), the Programme in Comparative Media Law and Policy a conference on Legal aspects of licensing of broadcasting and telecommunications in Russia and in the West, within the context of the Know How Project. An input to the conference was provided by Cardozo Law School (New York City, U.S.), and the School of Journalism of the Moscow State University.
• The main focus of the conference was on the regulatory implications of the licensing on the activity of broadcasters and telecommunications operators. The conference was relevant given the current discussion within the Duma of three bills on how to regulate licensing of broadcasting (On Television and Radio Broadcasting, On Licensing of Broadcasters, On the Federal Committee on Television and Radio Broadcasting), as well as the first steps on implementing the statute “On Licensing of Certain Types of Activities” that was adopted in the autumn of 1998, and a draft governmental statute on licensing of broadcasters.
• The concept was to offer besides an overview of the current Russian debate and legislative framework, alternative legal models (UK, European and US) to the key stakeholders (State Duma, Federal Service of Broadcasting, State Committee on Communication, National Association of TV Broadcasters, and others).
• The Russian input was made by those who determine the discussion in Russia such as, Larissa L.Yefimova, lawyer, Adviser of the Russian Federation of the 1^st Class, Valery Doudkin, Chief Expert of the Licensing and Registration Department of the Federal Service on Television and Radio Broadcasting, Aleksei Artischev, Chief Adviser on Broadcasting Issues to the Committee on Informational Policy, the State Duma, etc. (see Programme below)
• The UK, US and European legal models were presented by Thomas Gibbons, Manchester University, Martin Cave, Vice-Principal, Brunel Unversity, Herbert Terry, Indiana University (U.S.) and Fulbright Professor at the School of Journalism at the St. Petersburg State University, Peter Crowther, Rosenblatt Solicitors – London. The discussion with the foreign guests exceeded the planned timetable and took all of the after lunch part of the conference. At times it reminded a briefing on licensing procedures in the West, the most inquisitive participants being the Duma experts and representatives of other state bodies.
• In total, 52 participants were present, representing all key players such as in house lawyers (e.g. STS Network lawyer, Internews Network lawyer, and NTV lawyer), think tanks and unions (e.g. the MSU, National Research Institute for TV and Radio, National Association of TV Broadcasters, Internews), law firms, State Duma Committees on Security and On Informational Policy and Communications, Judicial Chamber on Informational Disputes under the President of the Russian Federation, public organisations (e.g. Glasnost Defense Foundation, including its Krasnoyarsk office), representatives of the Federal Service of Broadcasting, national and regional press and broadcasters (such as Radio Liberty / Moscow, Fenix-TV / Smolensk, Afontovo TV and Radio Company / Krasnoyarsk, Vyatsky Nablyudatel / Kirov, Russky Invalid / Moscow, TV-Centre / Moscow, Potrebitel / Tver, Russian Bureau of News / Moscow, Advokat / Moscow), academics (MSU, Moscow Higher School of Economics, Russian University of the Friendship), students, and many others.
• A number of materials, including the just released book on the Telecommunications Regulation (Conference Report of the conference held in the framework of the same project on July 4 and 5, 1998) were distributed for free at the conference.
• The debate that took place and the information that was disseminated helped to promote a stable regulatory environment in Russia.

Programme:

The Moscow Media Law and Policy Center

together with the Law Section of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR), Programme in Comparative Media Law and Policy (PCMLP) at Oxford University (U.K.), Cardozo Law School (New York City, U.S.), and the School of Journalism of the Moscow State University

“Legal aspects of licensing of broadcasting and telecommunications in Russia and in the West”

scholarly conference and seminar

Date: December 19, 1998

Venue: the School of Journalism of the Moscow State University, 9 Mokhovaya, Moscow

Agenda and speakers:

10:00

Introductory remarks: Andrei Richter, Director of the Moscow Media Law and Policy Center

10:30 — 11:30. Practical aspects of licensing terrestrial, cable, satellite and digital broadcasters

Moderator: Dr. Anna Kachkaeva, Lecturer at the Chair of Broadcasting of the Faculty of Journalism, Moscow State University

• Valery Doudkin, Chief Expert of the Licensing and Registration Department of the Federal Service on Television and Radio Broadcasting
• Thomas Gibbons, Manchester University

11:45 — 1:00. Draft statutes on licensing broadcasters in Russia

Moderator: Aleksei Artischev, Committee on Informational Policy, the State Duma

• Larissa Yefimova, State Councillor of the 1^st Class — Constitutional Aspects of Licensing of Television and Radio Broadcasters.
• Maksim Koudryavtsev, the Moscow Media Law and Policy Center — Licensing of Broadcasting and the new Federal Statute “On Licensing of Certain Types of Activity”.

1:30 — 3:00. Licensing of Telecommunications

Moderator: Stanislav Sheverdyaev, the Moscow Media Law and Policy Center

• Martin Cave, Vice-Principal, Brunel Unversity. — Overview of telecommunications licensing and added value services in the U.K.
  Herbert Terry, Indiana University (U.S.) and Fulbright Professor at the School of Journalism at the St. Petersburg State University. — Overview of telecommunications licensing in the U.S.
• Peter Crowther, Rosenblatt Solicitors – London. — Overview of licensing of telecommunication services in a European context.

3:15 — 5:00. Discussion.

Moderator — Aleksei Simonov, President of the Glasnost Defence Foundation and formerly deputy chair of the Broadcasting Commission at the FSTR.