A Fighter for the Public Interest at the FCC
A Fighter for the Public Interest at the FCC
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/victor-pickard/fcc-chairman_b_3100154.html?utm_hp_ref=technology&ir=Technology
Does it matter who chairs the Federal Communications Commission? People might be forgiven if they think it doesn't, especially as President Obama considers a former corporate lobbyist to head the agency. Won't Rupert Murdoch, regardless of who's FCC chair, simply buy whatever media outlets he desires? Won't powerful companies like Comcast or AT&T just continue to dictate policies affecting internet speeds, access, costs, and content?
Given repeated concessions to industry interests in recent years -- from weak net neutrality protections to approving the Comcast/NBCU mega-merger -- it's easy to assume the FCC has always been helpless to rein in the powerful media and telecom corporations that it's meant to regulate. But history suggests otherwise, reminding us of what could, and what should, be possible.
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In seeking the next FCC chair, President Obama would do well to recall this history. A previous administration, facing similar challenges, chose a public interest advocate to lead a key regulatory agency, one who would stand up to powerful corporate interests, one who would relish a good fight. Today, much of our media system is dominated by oligopolies more concerned about profits than providing essential communications -- like fast and affordable internet -- to all Americans. The public, more than ever, needs an FCC chair who won't back down from the Comcasts and the AT&Ts of the world, but who will fight for the public interest. The future of our communication systems may depend on it.