Bruce A. Kushnick, New Networks Institute
VITA
- Education: (See Educational Experience below)
Harvard University – Special Graduate Student, Psychology, 1977- 1978
M.I.T.- Special Graduate Student, Interdisciplinary Sciences, 1977-1978
Brandeis University – Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude, 1973-1976
Researcher & Student at M.I.T. Research Labs in Electronics, 1971-73
Berklee College of Music, 1971-1972
Brooklyn Technical High School, 1966-1970
- Experience
Executive Director, Founder, New Networks Institute (NNI), 1992-
Managing Director, IRREGULATORS
Chairman, Founding Member, Teletruth 2002-2014 (Dormant)
President, Co-founder, Strategic Telemedia, 1986-1993
Senior Telecom Analyst, Link Resources, a Division of IDC, 1985-1987
Founding member, The Audiotext Group, (now Kelsey/BIA), 1986-1992
Independent Telecom Analyst, National TeleVoice, (NTV) 1982-1986
Recording Artist, CBS/John Hammond Music, 1981-1982
- Columnist, Broadband & Telecommunication Expert
Huffington Post, blogger, 2012 -2018
Harvard Nieman Foundation for Journalism’s Watchdog Project, 2006-2012
Alternet, with David Rosen, 2010-2014
- New Networks Institute and Consulting.
New Networks Institute was founded in 1992 to examine how the break up of AT&T and the creation of the Regional Bell Operating Companies (now at&t, Verizon, and Centurylink), impacted America’s communications and customers. In 2002 were one of the founders of Teletruth, to take an activist role using New Networks data and analysis.
In 2016, New Networks Institute is now an independent consortium of telecommunications analysts, experts, forensic auditors and lawyers, some of whom held senior positions at the FCC, Consumer advocate and state Attorney General Offices.
In 2017 we added the IRREGULATORS.
FULL BIBLIOGRAPHY AT: http://www.newnetworks.com/biblio.html
- Teletruth & New Networks Primary Activities, 2002-2009
Founded in 2002, Teletruth has been an independent, advocacy group, and working with New Networks, has filed state and federal comments and complaints with the FCC, IRS, SEC, helped to develop class action suits, was first to file at the FCC using the Data Quality Act, and performed hundreds of phone audits, recovering millions of dollars for small businesses and consumers.
Class Action suit settlement against Verizon, NJ for inoperative circuits, based on phone data collected through Teletruth audits. October 2006
In 2004 and 2008, Teletruth received grants from the California Consumer Protection Fund to work with UCAN, to study phone, broadband, Internet, wireless charges.
Member, FCC Consumer Advisory Committee (2003-2004).
Class Action suit settlement against Verizon, NJ for missing small business discounts, based on phone data collected through Teletruth audits. July 2004
Proposed Congressional bill — “The Broadband Bill of Rights”. 2001-2002 (with Congressmen Nadler)
Created Roundtable for Small Telecom Businesses with Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy, 2002.
Filed the first Data Quality Act complaints with the FCC over phone bill charges, broadband, small business competition, wireless spectrum issues 1994-2010.
- Books and Major Reports
New Report Series: “Fixing Telecommunications”
$400 Billion Broadband Scandal & Free the Net, 2015
$200 Billion Broadband Scandal, 2005
Dirty, Little, Secret Lives of Phone Bills, 2003
Regional Bell (RBOC) Revenues, Expenditures and Profits, 2002
Bell Executive Compensation, 2002
Bell Write-offs and Foreign Investment Losses” 2002
The Unauthorized Bio of the Baby Bells & Info-Scandal, 1998
Inter-NOT: Online Statistics Reality Check, November 1996
Inter-NOT: The Terrible Twos: Online Industry’s Learning Curve, 2/97.
Telephone Bill Databases, California, 2004, 2008 — Wireless, Wireline, Broadband, Internet.
- With Probe Research
“10 Years Since Divestiture: The Future of the Information Age.”, consists of 14 volumes, with two computerized databases. 1,900 pages, 875 exhibits. Highlights:
The Information Super-Highway: Get A Grip, 1995
Regional Bell Earnings, Expenditures & Profits, 1994
Telephone Charges in America, 1980-1993, two volumes, computer database
Consumer Attitudes Toward Telephone & Cable Services, two volumes, 1993
New Network Services, 500, 600 and *100, published 1992
- Computer Databases: (Computer Programmer, Designer)
Telephone Charges in America, 1980-1992 — All charges, All states.
Consumer Attitudes Toward Telephone & Cable Services, 1000 Consumer Interviews, with Fairfield Research, 1993
Telecom Turf Wars, 1995, 1000 Consumer Interviews, with Fairfield Research.
- NNI’s Research Reports were Marketed by:
Probe Research, Inc. 1992-1996
Fairfield Research, Inc. 1994-1995
Phillips Business Information, Inc. 1994-1996
- President, Strategic Telemedia, 1988-1993
As President of Strategic Telemedia, 1985-1992, (originally National TeleVoice) the primary consulting activities included strategic planning, competitive analysis, and new business opportunities using interactive telecommunications. Selected clients: American Express, AT&T, Citibank, Consumer Union, Donnelly Directory, Nippon, MCI, Ogilvy & Mather, Pacific Bell, BellSouth, Sprint, Weather Channel, Westwood One (NBC and Mutual Radio). Specific projects included:
Acted as principal consultant in the rollout of the first “NII” number service (like “311”) in America, with Cox Newspapers, 1992.
Acted as principal consultant to Sprint to create a new division for Telemedia services, including competitive and strategic analysis, product planning and implementation, sales and marketing. 1988-1991 (Estimated revenues were $250 million in 1990.).
Worked with The Weather Channel to implement a series of telephone related services, including 800 and 900 Weather. 900-WEATHWork included product planning, media roll out, selection of vendors, down side risk analysis and co-marketing opportunities. 1991-1992.
Worked with American Express, Checks Division, to develop other lines of business in telecommunications related areas. Project included the exploration of new service offerings, including a telephone calling card, as well as creating an independent telecommunications network. 1990-1991.
Helped create a division for Audiotex and Telemedia services for Westwood One’s NBC and Mutual Radio Networks, including vendor selections, financial and program planning, including the creation of a premier telephone sports program. Campaign assistance included Burger King, Levi’s Jeans, Yoko Ono.
Worked with Donnelly Directory in the analysis of technology and marketing for the first national Talking Yellow Pages service, 1986.
- As President of Strategic Telemedia, Co-authored first Published Reports on:
Automatic Number Identification, (Caller ID) 1986-92
“700, 800, 900: The Intelligent Networks”, 1987-1992
Telephone as Media: Telemedia, 1987-91
Automated Service Bureau & Telemarketing Service Agencies -1991
- Strategic Telemedia’s Research Reports were Marketed by:
The Audiotex Group, 1988-1992
Jupiter Communications, 1987-1990
- Other Business Activities:
Invented a ‘500’ Caller Paid network, using the 500 Area Code, 1990. (Rolled out by AT&T.) Example: 500 555-1212.
Telecom Director for “Prime Time to End Hunger”, part of Bush Administration’s “1,000 Points of Light”, 1990.
Created first industry forums for Billing Services involving all RBOCs and IXCs, 1989-90
Founding member of the National Association of Information Services, NAIS (1990) renamed, “Interactive Services Association”, (ISA)
Created “Continuous Information Service” for Link Resources 1986-1987
Created first report about emerging voice technology markets. Link Resources, 1985-86
Founding member, The Audiotex Group, 1986, now “The Kelsey Group/BIA”
- Coined the Terms:
“Telemedia”, “Interactive Voice”, “Intelligent 800”, “500 Caller-Paid”
Predicted or Influenced:
Predicted companies would incorporate voice technology and add ‘press one of this, press two for that” as their phone interface, 1981
Predicted the addition of new technologies to the networks, combined with the divestiture of AT&T, would create an explosion of new networks, as well as new applications, from online services to intelligent 800 services, 1982.
Predicted Caller ID, Calling features and voicemail would become important phone services and new revenues for the phone companies, 1985
Sprint used NNI’s data to create the Candice Bergen add “Do you know what you’re paying for long distance per minute?” 1992
Predicted flat rate pricing for residential long distance, 1990.
Predicted 900 services would rise… and then fall, 1986…1990
Predicted the Bells would never deploy advanced networks as promised, 1992
- Press Interviews, 1987-2014, includes the following:
Featured in the Emmy-nominated “Bill Moyers In America”, “The Net at Risk”, Business Week, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, USA Today, Forbes, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, Advertising Age, DM News, CNN, Baltimore Sun, Interactive Age, Interactive Week, CNBC, Bloomberg, Inside Washington, Washington Times, Communications Week, Ad Week, Network World, Telecommunications Mag, Outlook on AT&T, Boston Globe, Communications. Daily, Associated Press, Newsbytes, Telephone Week, Philadelphia Inquirer, ISP Planet, Broadband Reports, Computerworld, ABC News-New York, Fox News-New York, Miami Herald, PhillyNews, the Bergen Record, Ars Technica, Forbes, among others.
- Other Activities:
“Touchtone”, optioned by, Warner Brothers, Wolper Productions., 1995-1999
“Touchtone” a novel, 1994
“Destiny”, a novel, 1993
“Kushnick at Carnegie”, Original compositions, Weil Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, 1990
Recording Artist, with No Laughing, CBS/John Hammond Music, 1982
Opera “Ephiphanies” with Richard Kostelanetz, 1982
“Bruce Kushnick, A Retrospective”, Carnegie Recital Hall, original compositions, 1980, accompanied by Robert Koff, founding member, Julliard Sting Quartet.
- Educational Background
Master Class in Musical Theatre, (under Lehman Engel) Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) 1976-1980
Mannes School of Music, with Dan Marek, 1979-1980
Harvard University, Graduate School of Psychology, 1977-1978
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Special Graduate Student in Interdisciplinary Sciences, 1977-1978, (Part of the Division for the Study and Research in Education, now part of the Media Lab.)
School of Contemporary Music 1976-1977
Brandeis University 1973-1976, Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude, (Music Composition, Minor in Psychoacoustics.)
Harvard University Summer School, 1975-1976
Boston University, 1975, Special Graduate Class, School of Music Education
Sergeant School of Nursing, Boston U, 1975
Boston Architectural Center, 1975, 1976
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1975, Linguistics & Music Seminars, with Noam Chomsky and Leonard Bernstein.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Research Laboratories in Electronics, (RLE) 1971-1973
University of Massachusetts, Computer Programming, 1971
Boston Experimental Electronic Projects ,1971
Berklee College of Music, 1971-1972
Brooklyn Academy of Music, 1971
Staten Island Community College, 1970-1971
Brooklyn Technical High School, 1966-1970
- Highlights of Speaking Engagements and Events, 1989-93
Asian Direct Marketing Symposium 93, Keynote Speaker, Telemedia, (May, 1993)- Hong Kong
Infotext 93, The Creation of Area Codes *100, 500, and 600, (January, 1993)
Press Conference, National Press Bldg. 10 Years Since Divestiture: The Future of the Info Age, (July, 1992)
Audiotex in Scandinavia, 92 Automated Services & Telephone Networks in US, (March, 1992)-Copenhagen
Infotext 92, Buying and Selling an Information Service, (January, 1992)
National Database Conference, Databases and New Telecommunications Options, (December, 1991)
American Telemarketing Association, Using New Telecom Options, Annual Conference, (October, 1991)
World Telemedia, Keynote Address, The Growth of Telemedia, (October 1991)-London
Direct Marketing Association, Database Marketing and Telecom Options., (February, 1991)
Telemedia 90, Tutorial Overview on 800 and 900 Service, (November, 1990)
Information Industry Liaison Committee, Automatic Number Identification Applications, (October, 1990)
Intertainment, Growth of 900 and 800 for Entertainment, (October, 1990)
Retrospective At Carnegie Recital Hall, The Music of Bruce Kushnick, (October, 1990)
Society of Telecom. Consultants, Automatic Number Identification Applications, (May, 1990)
Voice 90, The Telemedia Perspective, (March 1990)
Telecom Publishing , Audiotex Audiotex Potential, Keynote Address, (February, 1990)
- Strategic Telemedia Industry Forums
Forum I First Industry Forum for Long Distance cos. on issues of 900, September, 1989
Forum II Brought together the Long distance carriers and the Regional Bells (RBOC) to discuss Billing and Collections for 900 and enhanced services, March, 1990
Forum III Long Distance co. and RBOCs meet Public Utility Commissioners, June 1990