SpectrumTalk

TV Week Reports on House Panel FCC Investigation

On October 7, TV Week reported that

"A House Energy and Commerce Committee panel is readying a report expected to question whether Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin J. Martin went too far in keeping FCC decisions and policymaking to a close-knit group of subordinates.

A committee official today confirmed that a report on a 10-month-long probe of Mr. Martin’s management style would likely be issued later this month, replacing what was originally planned to be a committee hearing on Mr. Martin’s management."

Rep. John Dingell had previously said,

“Given several events and proceedings over the past year, I am rapidly losing confidence that the commission has been conducting its affairs in an appropriate manner ... A trend appears to be emerging of short-circuiting procedural norms, suggesting a larger breakdown at the agency. … Commissioners are not informed of the details of draft items until it is too late to provide the necessary scrutiny and analysis.”

So it looks like the Commission's ploy of delaying responses to information requests and then flooding the committee with 40 boxes of papers may have avoided awkward public hearings. Hopefully the next chairman will learn something positive from this.