Stephen Hartzell Speaks About Drones (UAS) at Broadcast Education Association Conference

Brooks Pierce Partner Stephen Hartzell served as a panelist at the 2014 Broadcast Education Association (BEA) District II Regional Conference in Boone, North Carolina, September 26-27.

Hartzell led a session titled “UAS in the USA: The Regulatory Climate’s Commercial Freeze.” The discussion looked at the regulatory climate of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), commonly known as drones, including North Carolina’s recently adopted legislation and its implications for the use of drones by broadcasters for newsgathering, promotions and other purposes.

Established in 1955, the BEA is the premier international academic organization dedicated to driving excellence in media production and career advancement for educators, students and professionals. BEA is comprised of more than 2,600 individual members and 275 institutional members, and holds conventions, web-based programs and regional district activities throughout the year.

A partner in the Raleigh office of Brooks Pierce, Hartzell focuses his practice on media, communications and technology law, and has advised a variety of companies on Federal Communications Commission (FCC) compliance issues. Hartzell has been closely following legal developments affecting the commercial use of drones at the federal and state levels, and Brooks Pierce helped lobby for the North Carolina drone legislation on behalf of clients.