The New America Foundation's Open Technology Initiative is very pleased to announce that Hannah Sassaman, a longtime leader in community media organizing, has joined the organization as a senior field analyst.  Previously, as campaign director for the Prometheus Radio Project, Sassaman helped coordinate the successful campaign to pass the Local Community Radio Act signed into law by President Obama in January 2011.  Through this work, Sassaman has created an opportunity for thousands of new low power FM radio stations to be founded in cities and counties across the United States.

"Having Hannah's political acumen and organizing expertise on the OTI team is a huge boon for our work in Philadelphia," stated Sascha Meinrath, Director of the Open Technology Initiative.  "Hannah is known thoughout the media justice movement as a coalition builder, a tireless worker, and a remarkably effective strategist whose work over the past decade has greatly empowered local organizations and constituencies,"

Sassaman will play a key role in working with a diversity of community and municipal organizations in Philadelphia as they build over 75 computer labs and launch programs to help community members adopt broadband and improve their lives and communities.  Her experience will be vital in helping support local organizations as they build the community broadband initiative funded by the Broadband Technologies Opportunity Program as part of the federal economic stimulus package.

"These BTOP opportunities and low power FM radio are both about putting communications technology in the hands of organizations who need it to empower local residents to change their communities," said Sassaman.  "Our work is about 21st Century civic engagement and economic development -- as the FCC prepares to license thousands of community radio stations across the country, I look forward to working with OTI, Prometheus, and others to help community media initiatives utilize new Internet tools and technologies, and community radio, to better meet the needs of local residents."

About the Open Technology Initiative
The New America Foundation's Open Technology Initiative formulates policy and regulatory reforms to support open architectures and open source innovations and facilitates the development and implementation of open technologies and communications networks. For more information, visit, http://oti.newamerica.net/.