Top Media Executives To Participate In Common Sense Media And The Aspen Institute’s “Beyond Primetime” Kids And Media Conference

January 24, 2007  • Institute Contributor

Time Warner CEO Dick Parsons; CBS CEO Les Moonves; Comcast CEO Brian Roberts;
Weinstein Company Co-Chair, Harvey Weinstein;
Oxygen Media CEO Geraldine Laybourne;
Warner Music Group Chairman and CEO Edgar Bronfman, Jr;
FCC Commissioners Michael Copps and Deborah Tate;
Harvard University professor Howard Gardner;
The New York Times film critic A.O. Scott; and
The New Yorker columnist Ken Auletta to Join in Conversation

NEW YORK, NY – Common Sense Media and the Aspen Institute announced today that leading executives from a number of America’s top media companies will participate in the inaugural “Beyond Primetime” conference on kids and media scheduled for February 5 and 6 in New York.

Executives who will take part in panel discussions include: Time Warner CEO Dick Parsons; Comcast CEO Brian Roberts; CBS CEO Les Moonves; Warner Music Group Chairman and CEO Edgar Bronfman, Jr.; The Weinstein Company Co-Chair Harvey Weinstein; and Oxygen Media CEO Geraldine Laybourne. Other notable panelists include: Harvard University professor Howard Gardner; The New York Times film critic A.O. Scott; FCC Commissioners Michael Copps and Deborah Tate. Additionally, The New Yorker media columnist Ken Auletta will moderate two media CEO panels during the conference.

“We are delighted to engage such a remarkable group of media and thought leaders in this national conversation about kids and the media,” said James P. Steyer, CEO and founder of Common Sense Media. “Today, media plays an increasingly large role in all of our lives, particularly in the lives of children, which is why it is so important for the media industry leaders, policymakers, educators and parents to work together.”

The conference conversations will focus on the challenges and opportunities media provides to kids and families living in a 24/7 media world. For the first time, media decision makers and respected national thought leaders will come together for a dialogue about the media environment that kids grow up in today.

 “The Aspen Institute is pleased to present this important forum with our partner Common Sense on an issue of such importance to American families today,” said Walter Isaacson, President and CEO of the Aspen Institute. “In the Aspen tradition, we look forward to hearing diverse viewpoints and the lively exchange of ideas.”

The conference opens on Monday, February 5 at 6 p.m. with a reception followed by a “Primetime Parents” panel discussion featuring Brian Roberts and Edgar Bronfman, Jr. and
moderated by Ken Auletta. Tuesday’s program will open at 8:30 a.m. with a media CEO panel featuring Les Moonves, Dick Parsons and Harvey Weinstein, also moderated by Ken Auletta.

Conference sponsors include: First Republic Bank, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Google, InfoSpace, Farallon Capital Management and CapitalSource.

The Beyond Primetime conference will be held Monday evening, February 5 and all day Tuesday, February 6 at the Time Warner Center in New York City. The conference is open to the press. For more information about press credentials email Deborah.Murphy@aspeninstitute.org. For more information about the conference speakers, schedule and topics, visit www.commonsensemedia.org.

About Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media is the leading non partisan organization dedicated to improving the media and entertainment lives of kids and families. Common Sense provides trustworthy ratings and reviews of media and entertainment based on child development criteria created by national experts. Today, millions of parents, educators and caregivers use Common Sense. To make age-appropriate decisions for your family, visit www.commonsensemedia.org.

About The Aspen Institute
The Aspen Institute is an international nonprofit dedicated to fostering enlightened leadership and open-minded dialogue. Through seminars, policy programs, conferences and leadership development initiatives, the Institute and its international partners seek to promote nonpartisan inquiry and an appreciation for timeless values. The Institute is headquartered in Washington, DC, and has campuses in Aspen, Colorado, and on the Wye River near the shores of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. Its international network includes partner Aspen Institutes in Berlin, Rome, Lyon, Tokyo, and New Delhi, and leadership programs in Africa, India and Central America. www.aspeninstitute.org.

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