Obama Picks Julius Genachowski to Head FCC

[Pirate Smile]

Source: Washington Post

By Cecilia Kang
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, January 12, 2009; 10:27 PM

President-elect Barack Obama will name Julius Genachowski to head the Federal Communications Commission, according to one source close to the transition team and two sources close to key lawmakers.
Obama's transition team declined to confirm Genachowski's nomination.

Genachowski, 46, is a veteran of technology policy having served as chief counsel for former FCC Chairman Reed Hundt. He also has business experience as an executive at Internet firms IAC/InterActive and currently as a venture capitalist in Washington.

Obama's pick for the nation's head telecommunications regulator has served as the president-elect's chief technology counsel and was classmates with Obama at Harvard Law School. Genachowski is credited for spearheading Obama's online campaign strategy, which used social networking and other tools to spread Obama's campaign message and raise record campaign contributions.

"If Julius is indeed the selection for FCC chair, he has the right mix of experience in government and business to give him a unique perspective on the job and he has embraced, along with Obama, a full slate of public-interest positions on media and telecommunications policy," said Ben Scott, policy director for public interest group Free Press.



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/12/AR2009011203417.html?hpid=topnews

[Radical Activist]

1. Obama's online campaign was phenomenal.

It took what Dean started to a whole other level. That's enough reason to be impressed with the guy but I'd like to know more about where he stands on media consolidation and censorship.

[Hekate]

2. Google is our friend. I got 355 hits for "Julius Genachowski +media consolidation and censorship"

Give it a whirl and let us know. :hi:

Hekate

[JFKfanforever]

15. They arrended each others' weddings... (link)

http://www.jewishtimes.com/index.php/jewishtimes/news/jt/national_news/americas_journey_and_obama/

[defendandprotect]

27. I got quite a few positives out of a search . . .

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Government-IT/Genachowski-Headed-to-FCC-Chairmanship/

THIS is good news . .

Obama's transition team told lawmakers Jan. 8 that Congress should delay the Feb. 17 transition date for television stations to begin exclusively broadcasting in digital. John Podesta, co-chair of the Obama transition group, said there have been "major difficulties" in the digital TV transition planning.*

What nonsense this digital stuff is . . . as tho anything coming over TV
is even worthy of electricity--!!

EXCERPTS . .

...Genachowski raised more than $500,000 for the Obama presidential campaign.

During the campaign, Genachowski promoted a detailed technology and innovation plan that supports net neutrality protections, expansion of affordable broadband and media-ownership rules that encourage more diversity.

"Under Julius Genachowski's leadership, the FCC's compass would point toward the public interest. President Obama has provided a clear road map of his media and technology priorities," Free Press Executive Director Josh Silver said in a statement. "We share Obama's goals of creating a more diverse, democratic media system and providing fast, affordable, open Internet access for everyone."

If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Genachowski will take the reigns of the nation's top telecommunications regulatory agency at a time when network neutrality is a hotly debated topic and with the nation facing a Feb. 17 deadline for the digital television transition.

Under current Chairman Kevin Martin, the FCC has contended there is no need for federal legislation mandating network neutrality, since the agency has already established its own network neutrality principles.



*PS: The National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced Jan. 5 that funding for the $1.34 billion digital converter box coupon program has been exhausted. The program allows for two $40 coupons per household to help offset the cost of digital converter boxes for non-digital television sets.

The Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005 requires full-power television stations to cease analog broadcasts and switch to digital after Feb. 17. The act authorized the NTIA to create the TV Converter Box Coupon Program, which is funded from the proceeds of last year's 700MHz auction.

[EconomicLiberal]

3. Venture capitalist?

Let's hope he is not somebody who is going to keep the status quo in radio because he doesn't want to effect the dear free market.

[FrenchieCat]

5. really? That's not what I'm picking up on.

He was into the Dot.com Boom......that's not a "venture Capitalist"...that's a tech wonk.

[EconomicLiberal]

6. I hope I'm wrong.

This is one of Obama's more important picks, and let's hope he doesn't screw it up.

I'll have to read more about him.

[FrenchieCat]

4. Here's what I've found....

He is the father of three children and is married to Rachel Goslins, a documentary filmmaker.
His parents are immigrants who survived the Holocaust.



Is a co-leader of the Obama transition team's policy working group on technology, innovation and government reform.

Would bring to the job: A broad background as a lawyer, policy wonk, manager and deal maker, with expertise that is equally broad, including technology, communications and environmentally friendly business.

Is linked to Mr. Obama by: Countless hours spent holed up together in the offices of the Harvard Law Review, from which they would briefly escape for games of pickup basketball. They remained close over the years, attending each others’ weddings. Early in the presidential campaign, Mr. Genachowski urged Mr. Obama to capitalize on the organizing power of the Internet. He was a prolific fund-raiser and chairman of the campaign’s group of technology-policy advisers, who produced a report advocating an open Internet, diversity in media ownership and a nationwide wireless system for emergency personnel.

In his own words: “We believe that ‘green’ has evolved from a small movement to a major market force, that many businesses are poised to help address our alternative energy and other sustainability issues, helping us become a global leader in building new industries that meet the growing demand for green and resource-efficient products.” (From 2007 testimony before the House Committee on Small Business)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/12/us/politics/14web-genachowski.html

Used to work as: A law clerk to Abner J. Mikva, then a federal judge (a post Mr. Genachowski won after Mr. Obama turned it down); also clerked for Justice David H. Souter of the Supreme Court. Mr. Genachowski was chief counsel to the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, then a senior executive at IAC/InterActiveCorp, Barry Diller’s e-commerce and media company. He later founded an investment and advisory firm for digital media companies and co-founded the country’s first commercial “green” bank.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/12/us/politics/14web-genachowski.html

Good Will Hundting

Genachowski served as law clerk to Supreme Court justices David Souter and William Brennan in the early 1990s. Then he signed on as Senior Legal Advisor to FCC Chair Reed Hundt in 1994. A year later, he went out on a limb and wrote a letter to The New Republic, urging its readers to file comments on Hundt's proposal that broadcasters "generate a minimum amount of children's educational programming each week (say three hours rising to five)." The FCC eventually got this done, settling on three hours.

He also helped a bit with his boss's crusade against broadcasters who dropped the voluntary ban on hard liquor ads on television. This got Hundt in trouble with those inveterate toastmasters, the former House Commerce Committee Chair John Dingell (D-MI) and W.J. "Billy" Tauzin (R-LA).

Genachowski was brought in to raise the white flag. "We don't have a consensus now at the commission or on the Hill about what the commission's next step will be. There may not be that much left to talk about," an article in Broadcasting and Cable quotes the lad as gallantly declaring to a gathering of TV executives. This and other accomplishments got him promoted to Chief Counsel in 1996.

In this higher capacity, he helped Hundt make growling sounds at the Nielsen rating service, which the FCC feared might have been undercounting minorities and children as TV viewers.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081222-in-search-of-julius-genachowski.html

more here....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Genachowski

[aquart]

8. Sounds like super smart guys did a lot of dreaming together.

And so far the dreams have come true.

[madrchsod]

12. he clerked for abner mikva...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abner_J._Mikva

abner mikva-one of the best politicians we have ever elected in illinois . he is one of the men who guided barack to where he is now.

obama is assembling nothing but finest to help him and us get to where we need to be

[stillcool]

7. this is interesting..

http://www.netcaucus.org/biography/julius-genachowski.shtml
Mr. Genachowski is part of the founding group of New Resource Bank, a commercial San Francisco-based bank that opened in 2006, targeting the clean-tech, renewable energy, organic food and similar sectors, the country's first 'green' bank. He is on the Board of Directors of Common Sense Media, and has served on the Board of Advisors of Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2).

Before joining IAC, Mr. Genachowski was Chief Counsel to Chairman Reed Hundt of the Federal Communications Commission. He has served as a law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter and, before that, to retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan, Jr. Mr. Genachowski worked in Congress on the staff of the Select Committee investigating the Iran-Contra Affair and also for then-U.S. Representative, now Senator, Charles E. Schumer.

[FrenchieCat]

9. Pretty innovative guy.....ahead of the curve, seems like.

and he understands how government and law works...including the 1st amendment.

[stillcool]

10. wild that he worked with John Kerry...

on the Iran/Contra thing as a young'un.

[karynnj]

24. Actually it sounds like he worked for the select committee formed after

the scandal blew up. Kerry's committee preceded that and laid the groundwork as to how the Contras were armed. (Kerry was then not included in the select committee - because he was a very junior Senator.

[defendandprotect]

11. "...currently as a venture capitalist in Washington. " -- !!!

[TheWraith]

13. Read upthread. If you're not just looking for an excuse to trash Obama. nt

[Window]

18. Well, I'm damned well going to trash Obama on this pick.

I've told him time after time to submit all of his picks to DU for approval before announcing to the press.

Do I really need this :sarcasm:

LOL!

Peace:thumbsup:

[defendandprotect]

26. Questions about Venture Capitalism are an attempt to "trash" Obama . . !!!!

[FrenchieCat]

14. Obama on the FCC, media and Internet policy......

per youtube statements via various speeches: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyzhV3g_tAc&eurl=http://www.newscorpse.com/ncWP/?cat=90

[John Kerry VonErich]

16. How is he when it comes to the Fairness Doctrine?

nt

[FrenchieCat]

17. The fairness doctrine is antiquated in terms of what it covered at the time

that we had it. Remember that it was reversed under Reagan.

With the rise of cable, it would have to look like something else, and one would have to be very careful that whatever requirements are made for something privately owned like cable (Government owns the Network airwaves, but not cable access...which is why one pays for cable) didn't cross over to the Internet....as both deal with broadband properties.

[depakid]

19. It's still necessary just as it was written- and before Reagan ENFORCED

That is- unless people likew the status quo where most communities across the nation are subject to the non-stop propaganda, dishonesty and vile personal attacks that characterize the monopoly of right wing hate radio.

And to a lesser extent- network and local "news."

(though there's no reason why legislation couldn't apply some facsimile to cable and satellite too).

[No Elephants]

20. Another change: Fewer journalists and more "pundits," strategists and commentators who think

that calling themselves something other than journalists or reporters relieves them of any obligation to be accurate or objective. And, sadly, that has become a generally accepted view among those who even realize the distinction between a true journalist and a bloviating partisan gasbag, er, I mean, a commentator. Every five minutes of some shows would require equal time. Not that that would necessarily be a bad thing, especially now that five corporations deliver most of the news and commentary in America. But, it would be a massive enforcement problem, and possibly--though I hate to agree with the right--an undue restriction of free speech, even though some of that is theoretically allowed in the context of the FCC.

As for Reagan, he did away with a lot of regulation and oversight, a lot of it quite effacious. We are now seeing the bad effects of his near abolition of some of his de-regulation. One of those bad effects is, well, that most of our news is now controlled by five corporations. Another is that it seems as though every company is now "just too big to fail." So, the fact that Reagan did away with something only makes me squint at it more closely. Nonetheless, Frenchie makes a good point. Things have changed a lot since then.

[Radical Activist]

28. I hope he opposes it.

Obama's focus on the media consolidation problem is a better way.

[mopinko]

21. can we remember to knr the good news?

no, not :sarcasm:

seriously. :kick:

[Bluenorthwest]

22. don't know much about Julius

but his wife has just the background I want informing the FCC cheif. Seriously, Rachel will tell him what I'd want him to hear.

[BrklynLiberal]

23. This appears to have the makings of an excellent choice...

[Khaotic]

25. Board of Directors of Common Sense Media

Hmmmmmm,

I gotta wonder about this. I personally think that slapping DJ's w/ HUGE fees for accidentally letting a curse word slip is out of hand. I'm for regulation of the corporate aspect of media, but not for too much regulation when it comes to controlling every word out of a DJ's mouth.

Here's some additional info from their website.

===========================

Ten Common Sense Beliefs

We believe in media sanity, not censorship.

We believe that media has truly become "the other parent" in our kids' lives, powerfully affecting their mental, physical, and social development.

We believe in teaching our kids to be savvy media interpreters -- we can’t cover their eyes but we can teach them to see.

We believe parents should have a choice and a voice about the media our kids consume. Every family is different but all need information.

We believe that the price for free and open media is a bit of extra homework for families. Parents need to know about media content and need to manage media use.

We believe that through informed decision making, we can improve the media landscape one decision at a time.

We believe appropriate regulations about right time, right place, and right manner exist. They need to be upheld by our elected and appointed leaders.
We believe in age-appropriate media and that the media industry needs to act responsibly as it creates and markets content for each audience.

We believe ratings systems should be independent and transparent for all media.

We believe in diversity of programming and media ownership.

=====================================

I do like the last one a LOT! In my book, the f'ing 1996 Telecommunications Act should be rolled back!!!! It's one of the worst things Clinton signed!

If this guy were to roll back that act then I would LOVE him, and I would get back the radio programming I grew up with.

Under Obama I would really like to change the current reality created by the FCC.