SpectrumTalk

FCC's Changing Its Image

Lots of news media have reported the appointment of Yul Kwon as Deputy Chief of the FCC's Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau. He is third from left in the above photo from Survivor: Cook Islands which he won. However, his Wikipedia bio makes a convincing case that he is well qualified for this job.

Some excerpts:

Kwon was born in Flushing, New York, to South Korean immigrants. He moved to Concord, CA and attended Northgate High School, where he graduated valedictorian and played varsity water polo and track & field. Kwon attended college at Stanford University, graduating in 1997 with a B.S. degree in Symbolic Systems. As a student, he earned recognition for both academic achievement (Phi Beta Kappa) and community service.

Kwon’s professional career spanned a variety of roles across technology, law, business, and government. He worked at two law firms - Venture Law Group and Harris, Wiltshire & Grannis. He served a judicial clerkship with Judge Barrington D. Parker, Jr. on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. He also worked as a legislative aide to U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman in Washington, DC.

Kwon is involved with numerous charitable projects. After Survivor, he helped his co-finalist, Becky Lee, establish Becky’s Fund, a nonprofit helping victims of domestic violence. He works with several nonprofits to raise awareness of the need for more minority bone marrow donors, and is a spokesperson for the Asian American Donor Program and the National Marrow Donor Program.

During the 2007-2008 U.S. presidential campaign, Kwon supported then-Senator Barack Obama and campaigned for him as a surrogate in the Asian American community.

Kwon, with business partners, became the Northern California franchisee for Red Mango, a national frozen yogurt brand specializing in healthy probiotic yogurt and yogurt-based foods.

So while he did make the following lists in 2006/2007: People Magazine’s Sexiest Men Alive, People Magazine's Hottest Bachelors, and Extra TV's Most Eligible Bachelors, he has some real qualifications for his job at FCC.

The last media celebrity I recall working at FCC was Adrian Cronauer, the inspiration for the Robin Williams character in Good Morning, Vietnam.