Laurie Patton (Internet executive)
Laurie Patton is an Australian media, IT and events industry executive most notable for having influential roles in the Australian nonprofit sector. As chief executive officer of Internet Australia, a chapter of the global nonprofit Internet Society, his views on Internet and media policy issues are widely quoted. Internet Australia is the peak body representing Internet users, including business, educational, government and private Internet users. It advises government and industry on matters such as data retention, Internet security, national broadband policy and Internet content 'piracy'. In 2015 Internet Australia organised the creation of a group called Parliamentary Friends of the Internet designed as a forum for providing information and guidance to MPs and Senators.
Career
Patton began his career as a journalist, producing and reporting for each of the three Australian commercial television networks. In 1992, he reported live from Los Angeles for Network Ten following the Rodney King riots. For the Seven Network, he covered the historic CHOGM conference that imposed economic sanctions leading to the end of apartheid in South Africa. He later held a range of senior executive positions at the Seven Network.
In 1995, he created World Movies, a pay TV channel. He was a founding director of the subscription television industry association now called ASTRA. From 2004 to 2010 Patton was the inaugural chief executive of free-to-air community station TVS (Television Sydney). He co-founded the Australian Community Television Alliance. and lobbied the Australian Government successfully to secure additional broadcast spectrum for metropolitan community stations, which allowed them to join the Freeview digital television platform. In 2010 he was a member of a review of the Indigenous broadcasting and media sector for the Australian Government.