Lawmakers May Seek Overhaul At FCC

LAWMAKERS MAY SEEK OVERHAUL AT FCC
[SOURCE: Technology Daily 12/13, AUTHOR: David Hatch]
Could 2008 be the year to reform the Federal Communications Commission? Sen. John (Jay) Rockefeller (D-WV) called for reauthorization legislation that would examine the agency's structure and mission, with the goal of making it a stronger consumer advocate and "a better resource for Congress." Analysts and watchdogs said that a reauthorizing bill, which enables Congress to restructure and reprioritize an agency, would have repercussions whether or not it gains momentum. "It doesn't have to be enacted to make a lot of things happen," said Andrew Schwartzman, president and CEO of the Media Access Project. Blair Levin, managing director at the investment firm Stifel Nicolaus, said 2008 would be an optimal time for action. "An election year is a great year to do it because it doesn't really have a partisan tint," he said, noting that lawmakers won't know whether their measure would impact a Republican- or Democratic-controlled FCC in 2009. 1990 was the last time a FCC reauthorization bill was enacted.
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/2007/12/lawmakers_may_seek_overhaul_at.html