Intelsat’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy court has denied a Motion from Intelsat’s lawyers to bar two expert witnesses from giving their evidence.

In particular, SES had wanted to call Jane Mago as an expert witness in its dispute with Intelsat. Her evidence covers what the FCC orders and regulations mean. The second witness permitted to appear is Ruth Milkman, a lawyer in private practice but who had worked at the FCC.

Mago’s 57-pages of evidence can now be admitted and she can appear and speak as a witness on the general subject matter of her recent report to SES which covers arguments regarding which Intelsat entity is entitled to any potential FCC accelerated relocation payments and relevant case law, and Intelsat’s own representations on the subject.

The two witnesses can, of course, also be cross-examined.

Mago is a powerful witness. She was the FCC’s attorney and chief counsel and had a 26-year career at the FCC retiring in 2004. She worked as the FCC’s litigator in many actions covering the broadcasting industry.

Mago then joined the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) until retiring in 2014. She served NAB as EVP/General Counsel. She is a member of the New York Bar. Mago has an extensive background in appellate litigation and expertise in Constitutional issues (particularly First Amendment matters), FCC ownership rules, political broadcasting, administrative law, enforcement and licensing matters.

She is now a consultant in media policy and law and a member of The Federalist Society.

Her expert input will be – no doubt – contested by other experts with a number of the other parties involved in the Intelsat bankruptcy also saying they have engaged industry specialists to prepare reports.

Other posts by Chris Forrester:

1. Virgin Galactic in stock split
2. Thuraya-3 suffers major problem
3. AST SpaceMobile hit by Class Action
4. Optimism under threat at SES
5. Rivada visits Terran Orbital’s manufacturing HQ
6. Avanti wins spectrum debt obligation case
7. SpaceX breaks records for re-use launchers
8. IRIS2 already in trouble?
9. Intelsat contemplates next steps

Categories: Blogs, Inside Satellite, Policy, Regulation

Tags: chapter 11, FCC, NAB, SES