Martin Known as Consensus Builder

[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Paul Davidson]
Since taking the helm in March, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has deployed his gifts as a consensus builder to win a string of bipartisan 4-0 votes. He's also calmed an agency that was sharply polarized under its previous chairman, Michael Powell. His latest victory could come as early as today, when the FCC could approve two mergers that will reshape the telecommunications industry: SBC's purchase of AT&T and Verizon's acquisition of MCI. Over the weekend, Chairman Martin sought unanimous backing for the deals from a panel that's evenly split between Republicans and Democrats, with a fifth seat vacant. some public-interest advocates remain wary of Martin's leadership, fearful of a pro-business agenda that could limit choice and price competition for phone and Internet services. Mark Cooper of the Consumer Federation of America says he worries that Martin's political agility could gain bipartisan support for rulings that only appear consumer-friendly. “Powell managed to irritate people and was an easier target,” Cooper says. “The fact that (Martin) is more astute politically is going to make our job harder.” But no one disputes this: Martin is racing his agenda through an FCC that once moved at a glacial pace and often split on partisan lines. He's done so with a pragmatic streak, a shrewd political antenna and sharp intelligence, all cloaked in a disarming personal style. Martin's knack for consensus building will be tested more rigorously in coming months, as the phone, cable and media industries increasingly overlap and compete. His challenges include steering the nation's transition to digital TV; reforming the shrinking subsidy system that keeps phone service affordable in rural areas; and maybe passing rules that could expand the reach of big media companies. He's also expected to be even tougher on broadcasters that violate indecency rules than was Powell, whose FCC socked TV and radio stations with a record $7.7 million in fines last year.
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20051031/fcc_martin_cov31.art...