Meet Julius Genachowski, Obama's FCC Chief Nominee.

[FrenchieCat]

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



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

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


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

Good Will Hunting

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

[mucifer]

1. wow another right wing tool!

:sarcasm: :rofl:


seems like a great choice.
Today's a great day. bush having an idiotic press conference. Obama with this appointment. Obama taking out the business tax breaks for the stimulus package. A good day. Oh and it looks like we in IL will get a dem senator (for a coupla years anyway.)

[FrenchieCat]

3. A good day will be the day after Bush's final fucking farewell speech......

That would be Friday. :)

[firedupdem]

2. I like this guy! I was reading on him earlier. He also helped out with all

the twitter, facebook campaign stuff that reached out to young voters.

[John Q. Citizen]

4. Do you know if he was involved and how so with the telecommunications bill in the 90s?

[depakid]

7. Yep- he was former FCC Chairman Reed Hundt's chief counsel

and was involved with implementing the legislation.

He was also involved in "free" market auctioning off of public airwaves.

[FrenchieCat]

8. In 1996, Julius Genachowski was a 33 year old attorney working as counsel to the FCC Chief.

Larry Pressler, Republican Senator from South Dakota was the author of the 1996 Telecommunications Act. http://www.senatorlarrypressler.com/

That's Pressler with the Chimp here.


Thomas Jerome Bliley, Jr., Republican from Virginia (Cantor now holds his seat), was the Rep who offered it in the House.

Republican Commerce Secretary basically put it together.....

Wednesday, February 1 1995
US Senate Commerce Committee is drafting sweeping legislation which will speed deregulation of US telecoms markets, and put cable operators and telcos in direct competition. Main points of draft plan are: - cable companies would be allowed to interconnect their services, and state barriers to local phone competition dismantled. - telcos would not need to secure FCC licence before programming VDT networks (see also "Telco allowed to own network in VDT trial" in this section). - su
http://www.allbusiness.com/government/government-bodies-offices-us-federal-government/7530503-1.html

The Senate and House passed the bill overwelmingly,

and President Bill Clinton signed the bill in February of 1996.

How it got started....
Court may prompt Hill action on telco-cable. (regulations on cooperation between...
By Scully, Sean
Publication: Broadcasting & Cable
Date: Monday, August 30 1993

Federal lawmakers agree that the ban forbidding telcos from participating in the cable television market should be overturned, but want to ensure that consumers are allowed protection from anticompetitive action from Bell Atlantic and other companies. Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., and Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Va., are sponsoring a bill which would lift the ban on cross-ownership. Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., chairman of the House Telecommunications and Finance Subcommittee, wants to prevent telcos from buying cable systems within their own service areas.
http://www.allbusiness.com/government/elections-politics-politics-political-parties/7683672-1.html
--------------------------

FCC was charged with implementing the Act.

[depakid]

10. Sorry- but he became chief counsel

Genachowski served as chief counsel for former FCC Chairman Reed Hundt, the chairman under former President Bill Clinton, and held various positions at IAC/InterActiveCorp (IACI.O), as well as other technology posts.

http://www.reuters.com/article/mediaNews/idUSN1236511820090113

And as in his position- he gave advice on privatization and deregulation that Hundt presumably passed along to Clintom- who, as we know, signed the bill, and went along with the 1st spectrum auctions in US history.

Not a surprise pick, of course. He's got qualifications AND (like Arne Duncan) he's a FOO (Friend of Obama).

Whether he'll prove to be a better choice than Copps as chairman, time will tell.

Obama's also got another pick coming up as Deborah Taylor Tate's term is up this month. It'll be interesting to see how that on goes.

[JFKfanforever]

11. Link - friendship with Obama

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

[onenote]

12. Julius was not deeply involved in the 1996 Act

The Act passed in early 1996. Julius joined the FCC in 1995 and worked for the General Counsel for a while before moving to the Chairman's office. He focused on media matters initially before becoming Chief Counsel in late 1996 -- after much of the first round of 1996 Act implementation work was done. He then left the FCC in May 1997. I'm not saying that this suggests anything about his views on the 1996 Act -- just that he wasn't a key player in its formulation or implementation.

[snowbear]

5. Oh goodie, I FINALLY guessed one right !!

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http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8068904

Wed Jan-07-09 11:59 PM

I'll bet that Genachowski gets the FCC Chairman appointment..

[EraOfResponsibility]

6. Could THIS guy help Obama keep his Blackberry? n/t

[FrenchieCat]

9. Obama on the FCC, media and Internet policy......per youtube looped statements

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