FCC's Clyburn Keeps FCC Wheels Turning

Federal Communications Commission Acting Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn showed during the agency's monthly meeting that she isn't just going to be a bench-warmer for nominee Tom Wheeler.

With Wheeler's Senate confirmation perhaps weeks -- if not months -- away, Chairwoman Clyburn presided over a full agenda in her first meeting, which included an update on the FCC's progress in holding the all-important auction of wireless spectrum. Clyburn, the agency's first chairwoman in its 79-year history, was elevated to her role just six weeks ago. Visibly excited and always collegial, Chairwoman Clyburn opened the meeting by thanking the FCC staff and her father, Rep James Clyburn (D-SC), who showed his support by attending Clyburn's first meeting. All three of the items voted on by the three-member commission were unanimous.

With the FCC operating with only three commissioners until Wheeler and a GOP commissioner are confirmed, there has been a lot of speculation that the FCC will be restricted from moving as fast as it could on important initiatives like the spectrum auction. Hedging the agency's bets, Chairwoman Clyburn said the incentive auction is on track to be held in 2014. Although that's a little later than the 2013 deadline former FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski had set, Chairwoman Clyburn said she was pleased that the FCC was making steady progress on several fronts. In the coming weeks, the commission plans to release more information about how it will rearrange the spectrum band following the auction, a critical detail long awaited by broadcasters who are worried about how the auction may change their business. Chairwoman Clyburn also plans to meet with the telecom officials of Mexico next week and Canada next month, to work out how the auction might impact TV stations located near border markets like Detroit. Finally, because TV broadcast participation is critical to the auction's success, the FCC plans to step up its outreach to broadcasters to encourage them to share their spectrum with other TV stations.