Storm Warnings For Kevin Martin

[SOURCE: BusinessWeek]
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has won a string of victories since he took over the agency in March. Facing a 2-to-2 party-line split among Commissioners, Chairman Martin chose to plow ahead without waiting for the Oval Office to fill vacancies that would give him a GOP majority on the five-member panel. That has required the Chairman to horse-trade with his Democratic colleagues. His results provide a sharp contrast with the record of his predecessor, Michael K. Powell. But will the good run continue? Just on the horizon are hot issues -- from charges of indecent broadcasts to media consolidation to next year's rewrite of the telecom laws -- that could be contentious. In the debate over indecency regulation, for example, Chairman Martin has come down squarely on the anti-smut side, declaring war on TV networks by suggesting that the FCC could allow local stations to block more network programs they find offensive. One outraged network executive suggests that Martin is cozying up to local broadcasters in case he wants to run for office. Chairman Martin declined to respond -- and won't say where his ambitions lie. But as FCC issues grow thornier, his political mettle will continuously be tested and he can expect plenty more of those potshots.
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_44/b3957109.htm