Laurie Patton (Internet executive)

Laurie Patton is an Australian media, IT and events industry executive notable for having influential roles in the Australian not-for-profit sector and the Australian media. As chief executive officer of Internet Australia, a chapter of the global Internet Society, his views on Internet and media policy issues are widely quoted. Internet Australia is the peak body representing Internet users, including business, educational, government and private Internet users. It provides advice to government and industry and engages in public advocacy on matters that affect the Internet, especially those relating to accessibility, security and trust.

On Internet Australia's behalf Patton sponsored the creation of a group called Parliamentary Friends of the Internet which is a forum for providing information and guidance to MP's and senators, especially in relation to legislation affecting Internet users. He has led IA's campaigns for all Australians to have access to the Internet and the skills to use it, both for economic and social development, and against Internet site-blocking, which he argues is more of a public relations exercise than an effective solution to the unlawful downloading of video and audio content.

Career

Patton began his career as a journalist, producing and reporting for each of the three Australian commercial television networks. In 1992, he reported live from Los Angeles for Network Ten following the Rodney King riots. For the Seven Network, he covered the historic CHOGM conference that imposed economic sanctions leading to the end of apartheid in South Africa. He later held a range of senior executive positions at the Seven Network.

In 1995, he created World Movies, a pay TV channel. He was a founding director of the subscription television industry association now called ASTRA. From 2004 to 2010 Patton was the inaugural chief executive of free-to-air community station TVS (Television Sydney). He co-founded the Australian Community Television Alliance. and lobbied the Australian Government successfully to secure additional broadcast spectrum for metropolitan community stations, which allowed them to join the Freeview digital television platform. In 2010 he was a member of a review of the Indigenous broadcasting and media sector for the Australian Government, and was subsequently appointed a special advisor to the communications department overseeing negotiations that led SBS (the Special Broadcasting Service) to take on the management of NITV (National Indigenous Television) providing it with nationwide free-to-air tranmission.

Patton has held a range of non-executive director roles, including at the Heart Foundation of Australia, Sky News (Australia) and the New South Wales Film and Television Office (now Screen NSW). Patton led the first official delegation of Australian film makers to the Shanghai International Film Festival. Five Australian films were screened at the festival, including Mullet which won Best Director for David Caesar.

External links

• TVS (Television Sydney)
• Internet Society of Australia
• University of Western Sydney
• Metro Screen
• ACTA
• ASTRA
• Conexion