By Jeremy Ambers

I recently had an opportunity to visit my alma mater, Oswego State University, to attend the 2008 edition of the Lewis B. O’Donnell Media Summit, titled Media Revolution.  Cold, wind and snow aside, the trip was well worth the hassle.  

The Summit featured a Panel Discussion followed by a Q&A session where members of the audience were able to pose questions to professionals from all corners of the Mass Media industry.  The panel was moderated by  Jack Myers, who owns and operates the entertainment publishing company Myers Publishing.  The rest of the panel included J. Scott Dinsdale, executive vice president of digital operations and new technology for SONY/BMG Music Entertainment; Erica Farber, CEO of Radio & Records magazine; 1981 SUNY Oswego graduate Steve Leblang, senior vice president of strategic planning and research for FX Networks; and Patrick Stiegman, vice president and executive editor/producer for ESPN.com. 

Throughout the discussion, Jack Meyers led the panelists through a number of topics ranging from new media and the internet, to music piracy.  It was interesting to see where these media veterans feel the industry is headed considering the past decade has seen the most change in decades.  It was also fascinating to hear them discuss issues, like music piracy, that are most prevalent on college campuses, in front of students who more than likely contribute to illegal downloading.

To listen to the entire Panel Discussion, click here.