FCC target of House panel's investigation: Chairman accused of "possible abuse of power"

[DeepModem Mom]

Source: Los Angeles Times

By Jim Puzzanghera, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
December 4, 2007

WASHINGTON -- Two key House lawmakers announced Monday that they were investigating the Federal Communications Commission, accusing its chairman of "possible abuse of power" and a failure to operate fairly and openly in handling proposed cable TV and media ownership regulations. "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," Rep. John D. Dingell (D-Mich.), chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, wrote to FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin.

Dingell said he was concerned that the FCC had not made the full text of proposed rules available to the public before it voted on them, and that Martin often had not given other commissioners details of proposals until it was too late for them to fully analyze them.

Martin, a Republican, has faced criticism from lawmakers and fellow commissioners recently for how he has approached the contentious issues of re-regulating the cable TV industry and easing rules on the ownership of newspaper and TV stations in the same city.

Dingell has summoned Martin and the four other FCC commissioners to an oversight hearing Wednesday, and a Senate committee will hear testimony from them next week.

"I have received several complaints from the public and professionals within the communications industry about how Chairman Martin is conducting business at the FCC," said Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), who heads the Energy and Commerce subcommittee that will conduct the investigation. "It is one thing to be an aggressive leader, but many of the allegations indicate possible abuse of power and an attempt to intentionally keep fellow commissioners in the dark."...

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-fcc4dec04,1,4417226.story?coll=la-headlines-business&ctrack=1&cset=true

[Reno.Muse]

1. good to see someone in Congress is paying attention

[goforit]

4. One step further.......hand cuffs.

[defendandprotect]

2. Well, they're moving the KINGS across the checkerboard but they're only

threatening the pawns ---

[McCamy Taylor]

3. Go Congress! Martin is abusing his position to favor GOP donors and

propagandists (NewsCorp and Sam Zell's The Tribune) in advance of the 2009 elections and he is abusing his power to repay The Phone Companies (AT&T and Verizon) for their help in illegal domestic spying by giving them help in their battle to take over the cable industry and he is abusing his power to improve his own record as a conservative so that he can run for public office when he leaves the FCC. He has run an FCC which is every bit as political and corrupt as Michael Powell's. He must go!

[Up2Late]

5. "possible abuse of power"??? NO! REALLY!?!?

It' about F*cking Time!

"possible abuse of power"?!?! Keven Martin should be in prison already!

If you have any doubt, watch this video (or read the transcript) from the November 2, 2007 Bill Moyers Journal report called "Minority Media", here's the links:

<http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/11022007/profile.html>

<http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/archives/index.html>

Note: If you only have limited time, watch the part after 16 minutes into the video.

Here's Kevin Martin's background from his Wiki page:

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Martin_(FCC)>

Prior Offices

Before becoming a commissioner, Martin was a Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy. He has also served as the Deputy General Counsel to Bush-Cheney 2000, on the Bush-Cheney recount team in Florida, and on the Presidential Transition.

Before joining Bush-Cheney 2000, Martin served as legal advisor to FCC Commissioner Harold Furchtgott-Roth, in the Office of the Independent Counsel, and as an associate of Wiley Rein LLP.

Upon graduation from law school, Martin served as a judicial clerk for Judge William M. Hoeveler of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in Miami.

[aggiesal]

6. No way! Not from this administration. ...

Where are these House lawmakers coming from?
Next we'll hear that the FCC held choreagraphed
press conferences.
Quit picking on the FCC, and do some real work!

:sarcasm:

[orleans]

7. k&r. now...do they actually want to do something about this asshole

i hope it's just not so much bluster.