Gigi Sohn‘s FCC Nomination Could Face Hold Threats

Federal Communications Commission nominee Gigi Sohn [Senior Fellow and Public Advocate at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society] could be running into more Republican and industry headwinds in the Biden administration's effort to get a Democratic majority on the agency. Despite a relative lack of contentiousness in Sohn's confirmation hearing and despite Republicans concerned about her past advocacy for fair use carve-outs for copyrighted material and her criticism of Fox News Channel, there are reports that a hold could be put on her nomination by one of those concerned Republicans. A definite potential source of the hold is Sen Thom Tillis (R-NC), ranking member on the Senate Intellectual Property Subcommittee. Tillis asked President Joe Biden to withdraw Sohn's nomination, saying he had many concerns but copyright was chief among them. On December 6, his office confirmed he would do whatever he could to stop the nomination, including placing a hold. Another possible hold source is Sen Dan Sullivan (R-AK), arguably her toughest opponent at the nomination hearing, particularly over the issue of her past tweets critical of Fox News. The hold could have backers among both internet service providers and broadcasters, ISPs over that net neutrality stand and broadcasters over signals she’s sent that she could support restoring some broadcast regulation, a group one source characterized as “the coalition of the freaking out.”