The head of a Georgetown Law communications and tech program and another lawyer there expect to change roles when the project gets a new chief, they told us last week. The changes are being sparked by the retirement of Angela Campbell, who for about 30 years headed at the law school the Institute for Public Representation's Communications & Technology Law Clinic. The school has been looking for a successor for some time, and Campbell hasn't decided if she will continue working at Georgetown after her directorship ends June 30. The clinic's Andrew Schwartzman, Benton Foundation senior counselor there, may also leave, he said. "My expectation is that I will do something else as of July 1." He hopes "to have continuing relationship with the Benton Foundation." The Benton Foundation "is honored to work with Andy beyond June 30," emailed Executive Director Adrianne Furniss about Schwartzman. "Among other things, Andy will continue to serve as counsel for Benton who is one of the petitioners" in the Mozilla v. FCC net neutrality case (see 1901030012), she added. Campbell expects to keep working on kids media as a Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood board member; the vice chair now, she likely will be elected chair in June. Her IPR program likely will remain involved in kidvid and political broadcast issues at the FCC and with kids' privacy and FTC Children's Online Privacy Protection Act rules. "It’s a good time while it's going well to have a transition" at IPR, she said. "There are a lot of qualified candidates out there, so I’m pretty confident it will work out well."
The court panel that will review the FCC net neutrality rollback includes two Democratic appointees and one Republican appointee. That cheered net neutrality advocates, but they and others cautioned against reading too much into the selection, and some suggested the commission is likely to be upheld.
The court panel that will review the FCC net neutrality rollback includes two Democratic appointees and one Republican appointee. That cheered net neutrality advocates, but they and others cautioned against reading too much into the selection, and some suggested the commission is likely to be upheld.
Many in the communications policy world have battle scars from the last prolonged federal shutdown, 16 days in 2013 when former Commissioner Mignon Clyburn was acting chairwoman. Then, the FCC, unlike some other federal agencies, largely shuttered its website, leading to widespread complaints. The FCC has been funded for the first days of this closure, but that ends Wednesday. The agency isn’t saying at this point if it will take its electronic comment filing and other licensing systems offline, with a public notice planned for Wednesday. The expectation among industry and FCC officials is that the 28 GHz auction won't reopen Thursday as planned and the website will be largely shuttered.
Many in the communications policy world have battle scars from the last prolonged federal shutdown, 16 days in 2013 when former Commissioner Mignon Clyburn was acting chairwoman. Then, the FCC, unlike some other federal agencies, largely shuttered its website, leading to widespread complaints. The FCC has been funded for the first days of this closure, but that ends Wednesday. The agency isn’t saying at this point if it will take its electronic comment filing and other licensing systems offline, with a public notice planned for Wednesday. The expectation among industry and FCC officials is that the 28 GHz auction won't reopen Thursday as planned and the website will be largely shuttered.
A second hold placed last week on Senate confirmation of FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr to a full five-year term has at least considerably hindered the prospects for the chamber to approve him and Democratic FCC nominee Geoffrey Starks this year, lawmakers and lobbyists said in interviews. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., placed a hold on Carr because of the FCC's decision to suspend the window for responding to Mobility Fund Phase II challenges (see 1812140047). Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, placed an ongoing hold on Carr earlier this year over concerns about FCC handling of the USF Rural Health Care Program (see 1809130059). Senate leaders intend to move the nominees as a pair.
A second hold placed last week on Senate confirmation of FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr to a full five-year term has at least considerably hindered the prospects for the chamber to approve him and Democratic FCC nominee Geoffrey Starks this year, lawmakers and lobbyists said in interviews. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., placed a hold on Carr because of the FCC's decision to suspend the window for responding to Mobility Fund Phase II challenges (see 1812140047). Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, placed an ongoing hold on Carr earlier this year over concerns about FCC handling of the USF Rural Health Care Program (see 1809130059). Senate leaders intend to move the nominees as a pair.
Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh likely will participate if the Supreme Court is asked to review the FCC net neutrality rollback, said court watchers, noting justices have wide leeway on recusals. They recused themselves without explanation from a November decision not to consider the prior commission's 2015 Communications Act Title II net neutrality order (see 1811050008). Their apparent reasons -- possible conflicts over Roberts' shares and Kavanaugh's lower court participation -- aren't expected to be repeated if the current Republican-run FCC's Title I order comes before them.
Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh likely will participate if the Supreme Court is asked to review the FCC net neutrality rollback, said court watchers, noting justices have wide leeway on recusals. They recused themselves without explanation from a November decision not to consider the prior commission's 2015 Communications Act Title II net neutrality order (see 1811050008). Their apparent reasons -- possible conflicts over Roberts' shares and Kavanaugh's lower court participation -- aren't expected to be repeated if the current Republican-run FCC's Title I order comes before them.
An investigation by the FCC inspector general didn’t reveal any evidence FCC Chairman Ajit Pai acted improperly by not volunteering that he had been called by then-White House Counsel Don McGahn in connection with Sinclair's since-abandoned deal for Tribune (see 1812030055), said a Nov. 26 report released Monday. “We are pleased that the Office of Inspector General has confirmed for a second time that there were no improper actions taken during the Sinclair-Tribune review process,” said the agency, calling allegations against Pai “spurious.” During a July House oversight hearing, ranking member Frank Pallone, D-N.J., asked Pai if he would make public any discussions with President Donald Trump or White House staff about Sinclair/Tribune transaction. Pai said he would, within ex parte rules, but didn’t mention a phone call with McGahn about the deal that took place just a few days before the hearing, according to the report. “Although Chairman Pai could have disclosed his discussion with White House Counsel McGahn in response to this question, we do not believe that Chairman Pai made a ‘material omission,’” the report said. Pai wasn’t required to disclose the conversation under ex parte rules because McGahn didn’t express any views on merits of the proceeding, the IG said. McGahn asked what action Pai was taking, and Pai explained he had proposed designating the matter for hearing, as he had already publicly announced, the report said. Pai later disclosed the call at an August oversight hearing. The Pallone letter that triggered the IG investigation also referenced an August FCC news conference where Pai was asked if anyone in the White House had contacted him or FCC staff about the deal, and Pai replied: “No one in the White House has contacted us to express a view about the merger.” Laws prohibiting false statements don't cover comments to the media and “therefore no further analysis of this exchange is warranted,” the report said. By offering Congress “truthful but incomplete” answers, Pai demonstrated a lack of candor, the same issue over which Sinclair/Tribune was designated for hearing, said Georgetown Institute for Legal Representation Senior Counselor Andrew Schwartzman. The FCC didn't comment.