PALO ALTO, Calif. — Independent Film and Television Alliance (IFTA) President Jean Prewitt presented testimony to the Federal Communication Commission yesterday, asking for the Commission to form policies that would “ensure diverse content and innovative services were not blocked or discouraged under the rubric of ‘network management.’”

The testimony was presented at the FCC’s Public En Banc Hearing on Broadband Network Management Practices at Stanford University.

“For independents,” Prewitt said in her statement, “the Internet offers a new route to reach consumers and a new creative medium that will change the very form that story-telling will take. The Commission has the chance now to set down policies that will keep the Internet open and competitively accessible to all users. Neither we, nor the consumers, can afford to have large gatekeepers lock up the Internet as they have locked up television and cable.”

Prewitt and members of IFTA are concerned that broadband providers will discriminate against independent content producers by restricting categories of users, types of traffic or give preferential treatment to content providers, citing telecom provider Comcast’s decision to slow traffic to peer-to-peer sites as an example.

“Blocking Internet applications and interfering with the public’s ability to access information is discriminatory and must not be a consequence of acceptable network management practices. Additionally, there must be transparency, equal treatment and a method of redress when provider’s private decisions impair the rights of others and the public interest,” Prewitt said.

Prewitt also pointed out that copyright infringement enforcement has been cited as a reason for implementing “network management” by broadband providers. While an important issue for content producers, Prewitt argued that copyright infringement should not be allowed to deny open access to the Internet for legitimate users.

Citing the role that large media conglomerates have played in virtually eliminating independent film and television producers from outlets on U.S. broadcast and cable networks, Prewitt said that the Internet offered route for independent producers to reach the consumer.

Independent film and television producers are defined as production entities that are funded outside of the established system of major U.S. film and television studios.

Members of the IFTA have been responsible for several well-known films, including “Juno,” “Crash,” “Lord of the Rings” and “Million Dollar Baby,” among others.

To view Prewitt’s complete statement, click here.