Neil Fried Joins MPAA

August 1, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 1, 2013

NEIL FRIED JOINS MPAA

Commerce Committee Counsel to Lead Government and Regulatory Efforts

WASHINGTON- The Motion Picture Association of America, Inc.(MPAA) today announced that Neil Fried has joined the organization as a Senior Vice President, Government and Regulatory Affairs. In this capacity, Fried will oversee all of the Association’s Federal and Regulatory Affairs efforts in Washington. He will report to Michael O’Leary, Senior Executive Vice President, Global Policy and External Affairs.

“We are very excited to have Neil join our team,” commented MPAA Chairman and CEO, Senator Chris Dodd. “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 joins the MPAA from the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, chaired by Congressman Fred Upton (R-MI), where he most recently acted as Chief Counsel for Communications and Technology. Serving the Committee for nearly a decade, he was instrumental in the passage of important legislation such as the spectrum provision of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, the Twenty-First Century Video and Communications Accessibility Act of 2010, the 2004 and 2010 satellite television reauthorization acts, and the DTV Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005.

“Neil brings invaluable policy expertise to the MPAA,” commented O’Leary. “His experience navigating the often complex telecommunications issue of the House Energy and Commerce Committee will serve our member studios and the larger entertainment community well.”

Prior to his work on The Hill, Fried practiced law in the private sector, representing clients before Congress and the Federal Communications Commission on television, telecommunications, and broadband issues. He has also served as an attorney with the FCC, where he helped to implement sections of the 1996 Telecommunications Act. Fried received a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Northwestern University and his law degree from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis.

About the MPAA:
The Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. (MPAA) serves as the voice and advocate of the American motion picture, home video and television industries from its offices in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Its members include: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures; Paramount Pictures Corporation; Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.; Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation; Universal City Studios LLC; and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

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For more information, contact:

MPAA Washington, D.C.
Kate Bedingfield
(202) 293-1966
Kate_Bedingfield@motionpictures.org