High Hopes for the New FCC Chairman

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[Commentary] So what do we know about new Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler from his first week and his staff picks?

First, he appointed our (now former) President and CEO Gigi B. Sohn to his office. That speaks well to his intention to champion the public interest. The rest of Wheeler’s staff consist of a mix of policy folks who manage to be intimately familiar with the industry and the policy but do not represent any particular industry segment. For example, incoming Wireless Bureau Chief Roger Sherman knows the wireless issues and the politics around them from his years working for Ranking Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee Henry Waxman (D-CA) -- rather than working for any particular segment of the industry. Critically, none of the people named by Wheeler in his first staff announcements need time to get up to speed on the issues. All have reputations as being smart and substantive on policy. While some significant holes remain (e.g., Media Bureau Chief), it’s clear that Wheeler plans to hit the ground running on wireless and the transition of the phone system.

[Harold Feld is Senior Vice President of Public Knowledge]


High Hopes for the New FCC Chairman