S. Derek Turner, Research Director
S. Derek Turner oversees policy analysis and regularly testifies before Congress and the FCC. Derek has written extensively on a wide range of media and technology issues. His reports have examined the state of broadband competition in America, the role of the Universal Service Fund in the 21st century, and the lack of female and minority media ownership. His landmark studies include: Down Payment on Our Digital Future: Stimulus Policies for the 21st-Century Economy; Shooting the Messenger: Myth vs. Reality in U.S. Broadband Policy; Broadband Reality Check II; Off the Dial; and Out of the Picture. Derek’s research has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal, as well as many regional papers, television and radio programs. Before becoming research director, Derek was a Free Press research fellow. He holds a master’s degree in public policy from the Goldman School at the University of California, Berkeley.
Recent press statements
Free Press Debunks Claims about Net Neutrality and Investment
WASHINGTON -- A new report by Free Press provides overwhelming evidence, despite the claims of companies like AT&T, that Network Neutrality will not harm network investment.
FCC Actions Pushed AT&T to Stop VoIP Blocking
WASHINGTON -- AT&T announced Tuesday that it will stop restricting iPhone applications on its 3G wireless network that use Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). AT&T's blocking of VoIP was exposed in August by a Federal Communications Commission inquiry into why iPhone users on AT&T's network were denied access to the Google Voice application.
FCC Should Set Bar High for Broadband Definition
WASHINGTON -- Free Press filed comments Monday with the Federal Communications Commission about how the term "broadband" should be defined in future policymaking at the agency.
In the news
Government Likely to Keep Media Rules Strict
Reuters
Newspaper publishers and other struggling media companies want the government to help them survive the toughest times they have ever known, mainly by easing rules on how big they can get. They will be lucky if they get any aid at all.
Public Interest Groups Argue Against Loosening of Ownership Rules
John Eggerton,
Broadcasting & Cable
The broadcasting industry isn't in such bad shape, a majority of public interest group representatives argued on their way to making the point that the FCC should not loosen its ownership rules as a way to "prop up" the industry.
Study Disputes Claim that Net Neutrality Hurts Investment
CIO.de
A new study disputes the often-repeated criticism that new rules will hurt broadband investment by pointing to investments made by AT&T when the telecom giant was subject to similar regulations.
