PULLMAN, Wash. — Kenji Kitatani, Lester M. Smith Distinguished Professor of Media Management at the Edward R. Murrow School of Communication, Washington State University (WSU), has been named adviser to the Japan Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers (JASRAC).

Established in 1939, JASRAC works to protect the rights of owners of approximately 7.2 million musical works and to facilitate the works’ use and dissemination. JASRAC also presents cultural projects including concerts, symposiums, lectures and educational programs with the goal of expanding awareness and understanding of copyright law, promoting music culture, and supporting the use and development of music.

Kitatani is a recognized expert in the U.S. and Japanese entertainment/media business landscape. He is a senior adviser to the Sports and Entertainment Academy of the Indiana University Graduate School of Business.

From 1991 to 2003, Kitatani served on the board of directors of Tokyo Dome Corporation, Japan’s leading leisure and entertainment conglomerate. He is a past president of Tokyo Dome Enterprises Corporation and a former executive vice president of the Sony Corporation of America.

A trustee of the WSU Foundation, Kitatani lectures on media law and management at WSU and Indiana University. His 1991 book “American CATV” is regarded as essential reading for media professionals in Japan.

Kitatani holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in communications policy, management and law from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Contact: Gail Siegel, College of Liberal Arts, 509/335-8522, gsiegel@wsu.edu