Criticism of the FCC's Chairman is Widely Aired

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: dewayne () warpspeed com (Dewayne Hendricks)
Date: December 10, 2007 2:51:40 PM EST
To: Dewayne-Net Technology List <xyzzy () warpspeed com>
Subject: [Dewayne-Net] Criticism of the FCC's Chairman is Widely Aired

CRITICISM OF THE FCC'S CHAIRMAN IS WIDELY
[SOURCE:  Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Jim Puzzanghera]

Employees at your Federal Communications Commission said tensions were  
bogging down the panel. Reviews of corporate mergers and sales  
frequently stretch longer than the six months the agency aims for.  
Critics have complained that important issues -- such as the 2009  
transition to digital television and reforming a fund that subsidizes  
phone and Internet service for low-income and rural residents -- are  
taking a back seat to bickering. "There's budding upheaval here if  
some of these abuses don't get addressed," said an FCC official who  
requested anonymity to avoid irritating the Commission's Chairman,  
Kevin Martin. The infighting does not bode well for the agency's  
effectiveness during what is likely to be Martin's last year as  
chairman with a new administration taking power in 2009. Commission  
employees said that Chairman Martin, chairman since 2005, keeps his  
plans tightly wrapped, believing there's a tactical advantage in  
springing them on other commissioners with little notice. For example,  
last month commissioners learned the details of his proposal to ease  
restrictions on owning a newspaper and broadcast station in the same  
market when they read about it in an opinion article by Martin in the  
New York Times. "He is a lone operator," said an FCC insider who did  
not want to publicly criticize Martin. "Sometimes even his own staff  
doesn't really know what he's thinking and what's he's going to do  
next."

<http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-fcc10dec10,1,4586613.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-business 
>


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