HILL NOD FOR REORGANIZATION EXPECTED SOON, FCC OFFICIAL SAYS
FCC Chmn. Powell’s special counsel Mary Beth Richards said Thurs. she was “confident” Congress would approve overhaul of agency in coming days. She said she had spent much of this week, and would spend much of next, with Hill staffers to “make sure they are comfortable with the plan and understand the benefits.” Letter outlining changes went up to Congress Jan. 17, and congressional appropriators of FCC budget have 15 days in which to express objections. “I am hopeful that there are no surprises. I am hopeful that they all agree that it is a wise and judicious decision,” Richards said in conference call hosted by Communications Daily. Given that changes must be published in Federal Register before they can take effect, Richards said she expected effective date either in late Feb. or early March. In meantime, once congressional approval is assured, Commission plans to issue news release outlining staff changes, specifically who will head divisions and makeup of front office staff. Release, to include structural charts, also will be posted at Commission’s Web site, Richards said.
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Current Cable Bureau Chief Kenneth Ferree, who will lead Media Bureau that will include both Cable and Mass Media Bureaus, sought to assure those with issues before Commission that they would not get lost in new Commission structure. “To the extent that there’s any confusion, talk with whomever you've been talking with in the past and they will direct you to the appropriate person to talk to in the future, which will probably be themselves.” Only change public probably will notice, Ferree said, is that there will be people in addition to incumbent staff handling issues since new structure combines 2 bureau staffs. Ferree denied bigger bureau would lead to more bureaucratic delays. “There obviously will be some management challenges to making this larger bureau run efficiently, but we think and I expect that it will be done,” he said: “In a world in which the media marketplace is converging, the policy decisions made by this agency shouldn’t be made in isolation, but should reflect the broader perspectives of all the industries concerned.” All competitors -- broadcasters, cable operators and satellite service providers -- will be treated equally, he said.
Richards outlined some overall structural changes in bureau divisions. Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau, much like its predecessor, will be responsible for inquiries from consumers and relationships with all levels of govt. and will have increased policy function for consumer-related policies such as slamming and cramming. New Consumer Affairs & Outreach Div. will handle education and outreach. Consumer Inquiries & Complaints Div. will work to resolve the more than 1 million inquiries and complaints Commission receives each year. Div. will be divided between Gettysburg, Pa., and Washington. Bureau will have Disabilities Rights Office, Information Access & Privacy Office to handle consumer- related congressional inquiries and FOIA requests, Policy Div. to oversee rulemakings and track inquiries and complaints and Reference Information Center to maintain agency’s paper files.
Enforcement Bureau will have some additional functions, taking over audit duties from current Common Carrier Bureau and taking pole attachments complaints and some multichannel video and cable complaints from current Cable Bureau. While International Bureau will have Satellite Div. to handle licensing, satellite policy issues will be handled mostly in Media Bureau, Ferree said.
New Media Bureau will have Office of Bureau Chief, as well as Office of Management Resources to oversee budgets, space management issues, IT, administrative matters. Office of Broadcast License Policy, which will be led by current Mass Media Bureau Chief Roy Stewart, will handle analog and digital broadcast services, specifically overseeing both Audio and Video Divs. In addition to Audio and Video Divs., bureau will have Policy Div. to deal with proceedings on satellite, cable and broadcast, including competition issues, carriage complaints, EEO rules. Office of Communications & Industry Information will respond to inquiries from Congress and FOIA requests and will prepare testimony for bureau personnel. Industry Analysis Div. will examine media ownership rules and policies, mergers and acquisitions and status of competition in multichannel video marketplace. Engineering Div. will address technical matters, including signal leakage and rule waivers.
Carol Mattey, deputy chief of new Wireline Competition Bureau, said many changes would be cosmetic. “Things will largely be the same as they are now,” she said. Bureau will have 4 divisions, plus administrative office. Former Network Services and Accounting Safeguards Divs. will be moved outside of bureau, but Competition Policy Bureau will take on certain functions, such as Sec. 214 discontinuations. Pricing Policy Div., in addition to handling pricing matters, will take on accounting and depreciation functions. Telecom Access Policy Div. will handle universal service issues and numbering administration. Industry Analysis & Technology Div. will pick up certain technology issues from Network Services.