Net neutrality advocates were reluctant to embrace the 11 net neutrality principles that Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., released Wednesday, some dubious about what they saw as a dramatic turnaround. Some advocates fear any forthcoming law could restrict FCC ability to act on issues like municipal broadband. Thune’s principles reflect stronger net neutrality protections than have been issued in the past, and haven't yet been released as the legislation he hopes to introduce before the FCC’s Feb. 26 meeting.
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Republican leaders of the Commerce committees want what they call a public discussion on a new net neutrality proposal. House Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton, R-Mich., is partnering with Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D. Some observers see bipartisan congressional resolution of net neutrality debates as the only way to allow an overhaul of the Communications Act later this Congress.
Imposing Title II regulation, with forbearance, on broadband services is a “recipe for disaster,” FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai said Wednesday on a Federal Society teleconference. Pai charged that in the end net neutrality advocates who pushed Title II reclassification with forbearance will turn around and try to keep the FCC from forbearing from key provisions.
The lease on the FCC’s current headquarters at the Portals building runs out in 2017, and the commission could end up moving to a different location or a smaller space within the same building, FCC officials, former FCC officials and the General Services Administration told us last week. Proposals for moving or consolidating into a smaller portion of the building have been discussed in the chairman’s office and the Office of Managing Director, several FCC officials told us, though the GSA makes a final decision on the matter. Though the lease’s end is two years away, planning for a potential move or consolidation of space likely needs to begin well in advance of the Oct. 16, 2017, end date, several former FCC officials told us.
The net neutrality proposal expected to get an FCC vote in February may end up being approved largely as proposed by Chairman Tom Wheeler, former FCC and other industry officials say. The Republicans will dissent, but Democrats Jessica Rosenworcel and Mignon Clyburn are likely to go along with the Wheeler proposal, especially to the extent it follows the direction laid out by President Barack Obama in November (see 1411100035), the officials said. This is especially the case for Rosenworcel, since she has yet to be nominated for a second term on the commission.
Among those promoted to Dickstein Shapiro partners are Fiona Chaney, whose practices include entertainment, which she leads, Ann-Marie Luciano, in State Attorneys General Practice, and Charles Monterio, Intellectual Property Practice ... Tennessee Supreme Court names Deborah Taylor Tate, ex-FCC commissioner, director of the Administrative Office of the Courts ... Wiley Rein names Karl Nebbia, ex-NTIA Office of Spectrum Management, independent consultant to its Communications Practice ... Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, hires Karen Lightfoot, ex-aide to then-House Commerce Committee ranking member Henry Waxman, D-Calif., as communications director and policy advisor ... ESPN names Aaron LaBerge executive vice president-chief technology officer, succeeding Chuck Pagano, who recently retired ... Avnet Technology Solutions promotes Patrick Zammit to global president ... CenturyLink promotes Tim Meehan to senior vice president-general manager, CenturyLink Government ... Hibernia Networks names Omar Altaji, ex-AT&T and Lucent, chief commercial officer ... ITN Networks, multiplatform video ad sales company, hires Stephen Poulin, ex-MediaVest Worldwide, as executive vice president-platform development.
The FCC is seeing some of its deepest divisions ever under Chairman Tom Wheeler, said longtime FCC observers and former agency officials. By one count, in the 14 months Wheeler has been chairman there have been 11 party line votes at meetings, which is more than during the previous 106 months before he took office.
Wiley Rein bought McBee Strategic Consulting. McBee will operate independently as a wholly owned subsidiary of the firm, Wiley Rein said Wednesday in a news release. The transaction will make Wiley Rein the only Washington law firm to bring to market strategic services like public policy practices and digital media practices, "in a robust, integrated offering," it said. The firms will operate separately with more than 310 legal, advocacy and communications practitioners, Wiley Rein said.
The Obama administration’s 2009 rules that have kept many registered lobbyists out of the administration remain controversial, though they were watered down in August, industry officials said. While they've likely had an effect on the revolving door between industry and the government, industry observers said one concern has always been that they targeted some lobbyists -- those registered with Congress -- while ignoring other kinds of lobbying -- for example, those representing a company before the FCC or another federal agency.
Comcast’s willingness to hire representatives with a background at the FCC gives the cable operator an advantage when dealing with the agency, said attorneys and executives -- some former FCC officials themselves. Though industry observers disagree over whether that advantage stops at merely having one’s phone calls returned or extends to more palpable agency favors, all said inside knowledge of FCC processes and personnel gives Charter Communications, Comcast and Time Warner Cable a boost when dealing with the commission.