Today Network World, the Washington Post and several other outlets reported that FCC Chairman Kevin Martin failed to play nicely during his tenure and hurt the feelings of several members of the House Energy and Commerce committee and their staffs. The Committee report further accuses Martin of behaving in a political manner in executing the Commission's business. Finally, and most damming of all, he stands accused of not telegraphing every controversial policy priority far enough in advance to give opponents an opportunity to kill his initiatives.
This would all be comical if it didn't cost thousands of dollars of taxpayer money and endless hours of Committee and Commission staff time. The report clearly indicates there was no violation of law. The report also finds no instance where major mainstream communications priorities suffered. It simply says that the committee would have preferred him to be nicer and more open. I'm frankly surprised it wasn't signed by Comcast and the other cable companies as well as John Dingell, given Martin's stance on a-la-carte pricing. It's a specious hit job while Martin is on the way out the door. Let's hope the next chairman will be given an opporunity to focus on the nation's communications infrastructure instead of supercilious Congressional witch hunts.
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