Moyers on America Brings Heated Debate to National Television and Online With 'The Net at Risk'

Moyers on America Brings Heated Debate to National Television and Online With 'The Net at Risk'

First Major Documentary on Fight Over Network Neutrality

Ninety-Minute Film Premieres Wednesday, October 18 at 9PM on PBS (check local listings). Live discussion follows online at http://www.pbs.org/moyers.

NEW YORK, Oct. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- The future of the Internet is up for grabs. Last year, the FCC eliminated "net neutrality" rules, which allowed every American and every company to access the Internet equally. Today, big corporations are lobbying Washington to turn the World Wide Web into a toll road, threatening democracy's newest forum. Yet the public knows little about what's happening behind closed doors on Capitol Hill. Some activists put it this way: a few mega media giants own the content and control the delivery of radio, television, and the press; if we let them take control of the Internet as well, who will pay the price?

In "The Net at Risk," airing Wednesday, October 18 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings), producer Peter Bull and reporter Rick Karr show that if big business gets its way, changes in who controls the Internet could have serious consequences for America's ability to compete in the global marketplace, on the unfettered exchange of ideas online, and on broadband services that could improve quality of life for millions. The 90-minute documentary and discussion, led by Bill Moyers, explores concerns that citizens' ability to participate in their democracy will be suppressed if the Internet goes the way of the television and radio industries, where deregulation left a handful of companies in control of most of what the public sees, reads and hears.

The broadcast is immediately followed by a live discussion online at http://www.pbs.org/moyers, where Mike McCurry, co-chairman of Hands off the Internet, a coalition of telecommunication-related businesses, and Ben Scott, policy director of the nonpartisan public interest organization Free Press, which advocates in favor of net neutrality, will respond to the program, each other, and to viewers' comments.

Moyers on America is funded by the Park Foundation and our sole corporate funder is Mutual of America Life Insurance Company.

"The Net at Risk" is produced and directed by Peter Bull. Written by: Peter Bull and Rick Karr. Reporter: Rick Karr. Editor: Alison Amron.

The series is a production of Public Affairs Television, Inc. and is a national presentation of Thirteen/WNET New York. Executive Editors: Bill Moyers and Judith Davidson Moyers. Executive Producers: Felice Firestone and Judy Doctoroff O'Neill.

The Moyers on America Web site is produced by Kristin Miller.

Press materials and photos available for download at http://www.pbs.org/pressroom.

Press Contacts:
Rick Byrne Diane Domondon
Public Affairs Television Public Affairs Television
212.560-8406 212.560.8530
byrner@thirteen.orgdomondond@thirteen.org

Source: Moyers on America

CONTACT: Rick Byrne, +1-212-560-8406, byrner@thirteen.org, or Diane
Domondon, +1-212-560-8530, domondond@thirteen.org, both of Public Affairs
Television

Web site: http://www.pbs.org/moyers

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