"The Media Council is the water cooler for our industry...all the great conversations happen here."

That's how Discovery Communications chief David Zaslav once described what we do here at The Paley Center for Media, and I couldn't have said it better myself.

And I can't think of better words to welcome you, our Media Council members, to a new season of great conversations, with a full slate of programs and new initiatives to keep you in the loop.

Our season begins in a big way this Wednesday, September 29, with a double-header. From 2-5 p.m., as part of Advertising Week, we are partnering with Yahoo! and Contagious magazine to present a series of panels around the theme "Digital Changes Everything."  On The Media's Bob Garfield, Mediate's Dan Abrams, Yahoo! EVP Hilary Schneider, and FT.com's Rob Grimshaw will square off in the opening session (gently prodded by yours truly in the moderator's chair) on the state of online news and information. The two sessions that follow feature some top-notch programming and marketing minds, including Electus's Ben Silverman, Bravo's Andy Cohen, McCann Erickson's Alessandra Lariu, JWT's Josh Kilmer-Purcell, and BBH's Calle Sjoenberg, giving their perspective from the frontlines of the digital revolution.

Later that evening, we segue into the first in our Accenture-sponsored Innovator series, featuring a no-holds-bared conversation between the always provocative Arianna Huffington and Paley Center president/CEO Pat Mitchell.  Not too shabby for opening day.

In the coming weeks we will  present the industry's best minds, including Yahoo! chief Carol Bartz and Take Two Interactive chairman Strauss Zelnick in New York, and Ryan Murphy, the creator of Glee and director of Eat, Pray, Love, in Los Angeles.

Looking ahead, our International Council summit will be held once again in New York, November 17-19, and plans are in full-swing.  Time Warner's Jeff Bewkes, Viacom's Philippe Dauman, and CBS Corp.'s Les Moonves are among the global media leaders who will be on hand for series of conversations focused around worldwide rebirth of media (click here to see who else is attending).  With last year's successful IC summit as our guide, we're looking forward to hosting media, technology and entertainment companies from more than 20 countries, including top executives from China, Turkey, France, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, Abu Dhabi, Russia, Australia, Brazil, Mexico and Turkey.

In the coming months, we will launch our Next Big Thing forums, a new series of intimate elevator-pitch sessions featuring entrepreneurs from cutting edge start-ups in dialogue with leaders from across the media community (click here to watch a clip of our Next Big Thing session from IC2009). In addition, we're ramping up our output of original content, including research and analysis in partnership with some of the best organizations in the business. For example, Media Council and International Council members recently got an exclusive preview of PricewaterhouseCooper's Global Media Outlook; and in partnership with the Carnegie Corporation of New York, we produced a report charting the future of journalism and communications education at the graduate level. 

And that commitment to providing original content is at the heart of an expansive digital initiative to provide greater value to Media Council members. In addition to providing updates and networking opportunities through our new weekly newsletter, our Media Council Forum will feature regular commentary from the media community at large. We will be offering greater access to event video and other multimedia, including our MaxMedia podcast, which features unvarnished conversations with such notables as The Guardian's Alan Rusbridger, stand-up social commentator Lewis Black and veteran CBS producer Susan Zirinsky, among others (check out the most recent chat with DocumentaryTelevision.com's Peter Hamilton).  

And, of course, you'll find regular commentary here at The Robins Report, the industry column I launched in the pages of TV Guide 15 years ago and continued through my tour of duty as editor-in-chief of Broadcasting & Cable.

Think Media Council without walls, defined solely by the breadth, diversity, and aspirations of our community of members. You are vital participants in our mission to chart the media landscape. We want to feature your achievements, address the challenges you face and facilitate a dynamic dialogue with the Media Council community and beyond.

So, once again, welcome.  Join the conversation.