Congress Blasts FCC Management Under Chairman Martin

Members of the House Commerce Committee blasted Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin for his opaque and unpredictable management. An investigation into the FCC and Martin's leadership came partly in response to complaints about the agency from the public and from communications industry professionals. A report released Tuesday cites several instances where Martin "manipulated, withheld or suppressed data, reports and information," particularly in his attempts for tougher cable regulation, an issue Martin has pursued with vigor. Many FCC watchers agreed the agency has been inconsistent under Martin, but most said opaqueness at the agency precedes him and has been exacerbated by what the report called his "non-collegial" style. "While there are some troubling allegations in the report, most of what it describes resembles the way the FCC has been run for a very long time," said Andrew Schwartzman, president of the Media Access Project. With a new Congress and administration coming in January, "it's an appropriate time to make the FCC more transparent." Martin spokesman Robert Kenny noted the panel did not find any legal or procedural violations, and mocked one of the findings: that the FCC overpaid for services for the deaf.