Chairman Takes Aim At FCBA Dinner

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski ended the suspense over his future. At the Federal Communications Bar Association's annual chairman's dinner in Washington, the chairman acknowledged that, since the election, there had been speculation about him -- there is much chatter he will be exiting the post sometime next year. "This will be my last chairman's dinner," he said, to a "No!" from one audience member. But they needn't have worried. "I'm not making any announcement," he added, "I just believe in the Mayan prophesy that the world is ending Dec. 21.

Chairman Genachowski was just getting started as he good-naturedly poked fun, sometimes with a slightly sharpened stick, at lobbyists, staffers and even journalists. Chairman Genachowski said everyone was happy that the election was over, except perhaps broadcasters. "TV stations made more than a billion dollars in ad revenue this cycle," he said. "That may explain why [NAB President] Gordon Smith has a Citizen's United tattoo." It is traditional for the chairman to provide a video send-up featuring staffers and the chairman did not disappoint. One was set to Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" and featured lip synching and dancing by a host of good sports including all the commissioners, what appeared to be most of the FCC staff, as well as a boogying National Cable & Telecommunications Association President Michael Powell, former Chairman Reed Hundt, former Commissioner Michael Copps on drums, Andy Schwartzman in a blond wig, lobbyists, former FCC officials and others too numerous to mention. It drew wild applause, and deservedly so as a bipartisan bit of fun that struck the right chord in a politically divided town.