U.S. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski stepping down after contentious term

“Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski is stepping down, he announced Friday. Genachowski, who became chairman in 2009, has presided over an agency that has grappled with contentious issues like U.S. broadband policy, cable and telecom industry competition, and media consolidation,” Sam Gustin reports for TIME Magazine. “In seeking to strike a centrist balance, Genachowski managed to alienate both public interest groups that have pushed for a more activist FCC on issues like media ownership and Internet openness, as well as industry giants, particularly AT&T, which had proposed buying T-Mobile before the FCC objected. Verizon Wireless is currently suing the FCC in federal court over the agency’s ‘network neutrality’ rules.”

Gustin reports, “Genachowski’s announcement, which was expected, comes just days after another FCC commissioner, Robert McDowell, announced his plan to leave the agency. Their departures create two vacancies on the commission, which will be filled by candidates nominated by President Obama… ‘When Julius Genachowski took office, there were high hopes that he would use his powerful position to promote the public interest,’ Craig Aaron, president and CEO of public interest group Free Press, said in a statement. ‘But instead of acting as the people’s champion, he’s catered to corporate interests. He claimed to be a staunch defender of the open Internet, but his Net Neutrality policies are full of loopholes and offer no guarantee that the FCC will be able to protect consumers from corporate abuse in the future.'”

“Genachowski also infuriated public interest groups with his decision to approve Comcast’s purchase of NBCUniversal, which critics said concentrated too much power with one company,” Gustin reports. “‘Though President Obama promised his FCC chairman would not continue the Bush administration’s failed media ownership policies, Genachowski offered the exact same broken ideas that Bush’s two chairmen pushed,’ Aaron said. ‘He never faced the public and ignored the overwhelming opposition to his plans.'”

Read more in the full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: Good riddance.

Related articles:
FCC’s Genachowski looks to open new inquiry into cellphone radiation emissions – June 16, 2012
FCC cites Android ‘openness’ as reason for neutered ‘Net Neutrality’ – December 22, 2010
U.S. FCC approves so-called ‘net-neutrality’ regulations – December 21, 2010
Tim Lee on ‘network neutrality’: Libertarian computer geeks should forge a third way – December 16, 2010
Tim Wu, man who coined ‘net neutrality,’ sees Apple as primary threat – November 15, 2010
All 95 U.S. House and Senate candidates who pledged support for ‘Net neutrality’ lost – November 09, 2010
Google Android’s dirty secret: You buy an Android phone, you hand power back to the telecoms – August 23, 2010
Four U.S. House Democrats oppose Google-Verizon ‘net neutrality’ proposal – August 16, 2010
Google and Verizon propose ‘Net Neutrality’ rules, but exempt wireless – August 09, 2010
Google and Verizon said to be close to deal that may jeopardize ‘net neutrality’ – August 05, 2010
Big win for Comcast as US court rules against FCC on authority to impose ‘Net Neutrality’ – April 6, 2010
Did the FCC’s National Broadband Plan kill ‘Net Neutrality?’ – March 26, 2010
Will ‘Net Neutrality’ go wireless? Google and the telecommunications industry gird for battle – October 01, 2009
Forbes writers: The day Internet freedom died; cyberspace in U.S. about to come under FCC’s thumb – September 22, 2009
AT&T: Any new ‘net neutrality’ rules should apply to Google Voice, too – September 25, 2009
AT&T calls FCC neutrality plan a ‘Bait and Switch’ – September 22, 2009
Senate Republicans move to block FCC’s proposed ‘net neutrality’ rules – September 22, 2009
Opposing Net Neutrality – August 10, 2006
U.S. Senate committee rejects net neutrality proposal – June 29, 2006
House rejects H.R. 5252 Net neutrality amendment – June 09, 2006
Google posts call to action on ‘net neutrality’ – June 08, 2006
FCC Commissioner backs Net Neutrality – May 30, 2006