Former Sen Chris Dodd to head Motion Picture Association of America

Former Connecticut Sen Chris Dodd, a veteran Washington insider, is Hollywood's new chief lobbyist. The Motion Picture Association of America said that Dodd will become the new chief executive of the MPAA, the lobbying arm for the main studios that also oversees the film ratings system.

Dodd succeeds Dan Glickman, a former Kansas congressman and Secretary of Agriculture, who stepped down a year ago after five years on the job. Dodd will pull down more than $1.5 million in salary, 25% greater than the $1.2 million Glickman received. In selecting Dodd, the MPAA's board is counting on the one-time U.S. presidential hopeful to restore some of the clout that the organization had during the four decades it was run by the legendary Jack Valenti, the former aide to President Lyndon Johnson who turned the lobbyist's role into a starring turn. Dodd’s appointment caps a year-long search for a successor that showed how much the MPAA job, once a coveted position, has diminished in recent years.

Gigi B. Sohn, president and co-founder of Public Knowledge, said, “We welcome Senator Dodd to the MPAA and wish him good luck in his new role. We hope that he and his members will come to realize that technology is not your enemy — that instead technology can be the greatest means of distributing content the industry has ever seen. The industry should look on new developments as opportunities, not as barriers, to building the industry.”