2026 Hargrove Colloquium: The Regulator’s Dilemma–Innovation and Global Competition

Date/Time
Date(s) - 04/06/2026
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

On April 6, the UNC Center for Media Law and Policy will host the 2026 Hargrove Media Law and Policy Colloquium, featuring Kevin Martin, vice president and head of global policy at Meta and former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. Titled The Regulator’s Dilemma: Innovation and Global Competition, the event will explore how regulators and industry leaders can respond to rapid technological change while fostering innovation and maintaining competitiveness in an increasingly global media and communications marketplace.

Mr. Martin brings a rare combination of senior government, private practice, and global policy experience to this conversation. He served two terms as commissioner and chairman of the FCC during a period of significant transformation in telecommunications, broadband, and media regulation. Before joining the FCC, he worked at the White House as a Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and as a member of the National Economic Council staff, where he focused on commerce and technology policy. He also represented the United States on the G‑8 Digital Opportunity Task Force, addressing how the digital revolution could expand opportunity in developing countries. After leaving government service, Mr. Martin was a partner and co-chair of the telecommunications practice at an international law firm before joining Meta, where he now leads global engagement with policymakers on privacy, connectivity, trade, and related issues.

In addition to delivering prepared remarks, Mr. Martin will sit down for a conversation with Julia Ambrose, who clerked for Associate Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and now leads the media law practice at Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard, LLP. Their discussion will examine the practical and philosophical tensions between regulation and innovation, the growing importance of international policy considerations, and the role lawyers play in advising clients amid regulatory uncertainty and global competition.

Designed for lawyers, media and technology industry leaders, policymakers, and students, the evening will offer a thoughtful and timely examination of the regulatory choices shaping the future of media and communications. The event will also highlight the enduring relevance of media law and policy education at a moment when regulatory decisions increasingly influence innovation, democratic values, and economic growth worldwide.

The colloquium will take place on April 6 at 7:00 p.m. at the Paul J. Rizzo Conference Center, 130 DuBose Home Lane, Chapel Hill, NC 27517. The event is free and open to the public, though advance registration is encouraged due to limited seating. Registration is available at here.

About the Colloquium

The UNC Center for Media Law and Policy hosts the Wade H. Hargrove Media Law and Policy Colloquium, which was established in 2009 to honor Wade Hargrove, a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the UNC School of Law, and to provide a forum for the discussion of media law and policy issues. It was funded in part by Hearst Communications, the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters, and the North Carolina Cable Telecommunications Association to recognize the more than 30 years of service that Mr. Hargrove provided to these organizations as well as media and technology companies throughout North Carolina and the nation.

The colloquium is a world-class event that draws attendees from both industry and academia. Speakers have included David Barrett, former Chairman and CEO of Hearst Television Inc.; Ben Sherwood, former President, Disney|ABC Television; Floyd Abrams, Senior Counsel at Cahill Gordon & Reindel; David Cohen, Ambassador to Canada and former Senior Executive Vice President of Comcast Corp.; David McCraw, Deputy General Counsel at The New York Times Co.; Ruth Okediji, Jeremiah Smith, Jr. Professor of Law at Harvard Law School and Co-Director of the Berkman Klein Center; Nadine Farid Johnson, Policy Director, Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University; and Lyrissa Lidsky, Raymond & Miriam Ehrlich Chair in U.S. Constitutional Law at the University of Florida. Past colloquia have been televised by C-SPAN and UNC-TV.