[opendtv] News: FCC Chairman Michael Powell To Resign Today
- From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: OpenDTV Mail List <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2005 12:53:11 -0500
Via Radio Ink
FCC Chairman Michael Powell To Resign Today
The Wall Street Journal and CNBC both are reporting that Federal
Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell will be resigning
today. Neither report gave any reason for Powell's departure,
although it had been speculated for months that he wanted to leave
the job and pursue other interests.
The 41-year-old Republican was appointed to the FCC in 1997 by
President Clinton, and was selected by President Bush in 2001 to
serve as chairman. During his tenure he suffered several defeats,
including a failed effort to relax regulations restricting television
and radio ownership and a revolt by fellow Republican Commissioner
Kevin Martin who voted against his plan to ease local telephone
network sharing rules.
Last year, Powell's FCC cracked down on indecent programming on
television and radio, a move initiated by pop singer Janet Jackson's
"nipple slip" during the Super Bowl football game last year.
Subsequently the FCC issued several large fines for indecent
broadcasts on the radio.
Powell is the son of retiring Secretary of State Colin Powell. He
had planned on joining the military, and entered the U.S. Army.
However, he was almost killed in a Jeep accident in German in 1987;
following extensive surgery and a long rehabilitation, he went to law
school. He subsequently clerked for a federal judge and became chief
of staff at the Justice Department's antitrust division before being
appointed to the Commission.
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