A New Signal from the FCC

After years of dealing with a regulator many considered an autocrat and ideologue, executives in media, telecom, and technology say they are encouraged by President Barack Obama's newly confirmed chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. Julius Genachowski, like most FCC chiefs, is a lawyer. But there the similarities with his predecessors end. Genachowski helped media mogul Barry Diller build his e-commerce empire and worked as a venture capitalist. Those experiences arguably give him a broad view of the industries he will regulate. Genachowski is also considered fair and pragmatic. Executives believe his ascension will be a welcome change from predecessor Kevin Martin, who they say targeted certain industries and turned an obsession with what he deemed smut on TV into a moral crusade. Here, say FCC insiders, are three of Genachowski's top priorities: Broadband Deployment; Network Neutrality; and media Ownership Diversity.