At the request of WXPR News Director Ken Krall, the founder of the NWBDC, Don Sidlowski, coordinated the format, questions, and participants for a one-hour long forum on WXPR Rhinelander 91.7 FM on the topic of “how public-private partnerships can be utilized to further broadband expansion and adoption as a tool for economic development and job growth in Northern Wisconsin”. Sitting on the five person panel, in addition to Don, were Representative Rob Swearingen (State of Wisconsin, Assembly District 34), Mr. Rob Riordan (Cellcom/Nsight, Executive Vice-President and Director of Corporate Development), Ms. Joni Theobald (Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, Director of Education and Workforce), and Mr. Tim Brown (UW-Extension Oneida County Community, Natural Resource & Economic Development Agent). At the Public Service Commission Summit in Madison on April 4, Governor Walker announced (go to 01:49:55 mark of the video) that $4.3 million dollars would be set aside in the current state budget for broadband development. While making it clear that he didn’t want government either subsidizing or taking the place of the private sector, he simultaneously emphasized that there is a role for government in facilitating the expansion of the expansion and adoption of broadband and that’s why he put the grant program for broadband development in his biennial budget plan. Since that time, the Governor has specifically and repeatedly stated that public-private partnerships, or P3s as he calls them, are the means to give priority to large geographic areas, or regions that have a large number of people who are underserved or unserved, especially in rural areas. The discussion during the forum explored some P3s that are already underway and how they can be expanded in the future and in what specific ways. Ken Krall served as the moderator for the forum which was tape recorded on Thursday, August 1 at the WXPR studios located at 28 N. Stevens Street in downtown Rhinelander in the beautifully appointed and technologically state of the art White Pine Room. The program was rebroadcast on Saturday, August 3 at 4 pm and again on Sunday, August 4 at Noon. As well the news story and entire one-hour audio stream of the forum can be found at wxpr.org