David Waterman is a professor emeritus of ?telecommunications.
Waterman has been a member of the IU-Bloomington faculty since 1993. In his tenure, he has taught courses and conducted research on the economics of media and information.
An expert in vertical integration and the market structure in multi-channel television, he is also an expert in the economics of programming, copyright and Internet video distribution.
He will continue to focus in these areas in his time at the FCC, according to an IU news release.
“This is a great opportunity for me to have some real influence on policies that I’ve been writing and teaching about for years,” Waterman said in the release. “At the least, I will have plenty to say about them. It’s hard for me to imagine a more interesting time to be there, with the network neutrality debate currently on the commission’s plate, along with a number of television and other media issues that are up my alley.”
Waterman said he thinks his work at the FCC in policy making will help to drive his research and teaching in the future.
Associate Dean of the Media School Lesa Hatley Major said in the release that Waterman is more than qualified for this position.
“David Waterman has spent his career analyzing the economics of the online video industry and the ownership and market structure in cable television, among many other communications issues, so we are not surprised that the FCC would value his expertise,” she said.
In the past, Waterman has testified before the U.S. Congress, served as a consultant to the FCC, the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. General Accounting Office and the ?Federal Trade Commission.
Waterman earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from the University of Southern California and his Ph.D. in economics from Stanford University, according to his IU faculty page.
His appointment at the FCC will begin in January. It is a year-long appointment, after which he will return ?to IU.
Anna Hyzy
