FCC chairman pushes reform agenda amid congressional inquiry

Last month, in a conference room atop the Federal Communications Commission building that has become a gathering spot for journalists, Chairman Kevin Martin made what appeared to be a routine announcement. The agency, he stated matter-of-factly, would soon issue press releases outlining the tentative agenda of each monthly meeting three weeks in advance. The pronouncement may have sounded routine, but it wasn't. For decades, the agendas have been among the most closely guarded secrets at the commission, which regulates the trillion-dollar communications industry. The FCC formerly issued meeting advisories only seven days in advance, with regulatory items often mysteriously appearing or disappearing at the last moment. The agency still issues updated advisories a week in advance, with fewer surprises at the meetings. The announcement, and the press conference itself, were the direct result of pressure on Martin from the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which is conducting a months-long review of the FCC and its regulatory practices. Four days later, on April 28, an internal Energy and Commerce staff memo tightened the squeeze when it recommended holding oversight hearings in June, asserting, "The FCC process appears broken and most of the blame appears to rest with Chairman Martin." In an effort to tamp down such criticism, the chairman has instituted a series of unilateral moves designed to make the FCC more transparent. "I've tried to be responsive to individual concerns that people have raised about the public not being aware enough about some of the issues that were in front of us," Chairman Martin said. Reviews are mixed.
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