WGAW Commends FCC on Net Neutrality Vote

LOS ANGELES -- Chris Keyser, President of the Writers Guild of America West, has issued the following statement in response to the FCC vote to protect the open Internet.

"Today's vote by the Federal Communications Commission to reclassify the Internet as a Title II telecommunications service and institute the strongest open Internet rules to date is an historic moment for this country. Despite the vast amount of money poured into lobbying efforts by the telecoms to kill net neutrality, the public interest has won out. What the FCC has done today will preserve the Internet as an open platform for free speech, innovation and creativity. These new rules will promote competition rather than stifling it. Reclassifying the Internet ensures that the progress towards more independent and diverse content already enabled by the open Internet will continue unabated, and that a free market that rewards creators and consumers will flourish."

The Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) is a labor union representing writers of motion pictures, television, radio, and Internet programming, including news and documentaries. Founded in 1933, the Guild negotiates and administers contracts that protect the creative and economic rights of its members. It is involved in a wide range of programs that advance the interests of writers, and is active in public policy and legislative matters on the local, national, and international levels. For more information on the WGAW, please visit: www.wga.org.