The event is scheduled for Wednesday at 1 p.m. EST and is available to anyone interested at www.tvaccounting.com or www.tvworldwide.com. Spectrum Group LLC and www.dcaccountingjobs.com are sponsoring the webcast.

The online town meeting -- which is also being hosted by CPADirectory.com, whose online directory includes more than 450,000 CPAs -- is expected to draw in email and telephone responses from hundreds of participants, the company stated.

TVAccounting.com said the AICPA indicated that it is interested in participating in the Webcast, which will address the Institute's new global designation known as the "Cognitor."

At the AICPA's Fall Council Meeting last month in Vegas, the Institute announced that it will forge ahead with the new designation, which has drawn criticism from many in the profession who believe the credential could threaten the CPA brand and say the plan is fundamentally flawed. There has also been concern over allowing non-CPAs to earn the credential.

The credential represents a broad range of disciplines, including accounting, law, information technology, consulting, marketing, human resources and other business-support areas. The AICPA estimates that by 2010, there would be 800,000 Cognitors in and outside the United States.

Under the plan, the AICPA will emerge -- through a separate organization -- as the entity that licenses qualifying U.S. professionals for the new credential, with both the AICPA and participating state CPA societies providing professionals support, the Institute said.

Participants should have the free Real Player installed prior to the event and should log on by 12:30 p.m. EST on Wednesday. Questions can be directed to 703-961-9250 before and during the event, which will be archived at www.tvaccounting.com for those who can't attend Wednesday's event.

-- By SmartPros News Staff

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