Copps To Clean Up Demoralized FCC…

Tuesday, January, 27, 2009 by Mel Phillips.

Acting FCC Chairman Michael J. Copps doesn’t have much time to straighten out the mess Kevin Martin made of the agency with Julius Genachowski ready to assume the permanent chair, but whatever he accomplishes will be an improvement.  One less concern is the transition to digital TV, put off until June 12 by Senate vote.  Before Genachowski “inherits an agency largely demoralized that has lost a great deal of career experts”, the words of Pennsylvania University law professor Christopher Yoo, Copps will do all he can - a tall order, according to Gigi Sohn, executive director of public interest group Public Knowledge - “The Commission has to be repaired in the eyes of the public.” …

Copps will attempt to improve communication and transparency at the agency.  “I’m troubled that our lines of communication, both internal and external, seem to be frayed.  Our credibility suffers when that happens.”  Copps will encourage more interaction between bureaus and offices.  There will be weekly briefings with bureau and office chiefs with a representative from each commissioners’ office in attendance.  He called for more white papers on policy issues for the public to view…

What a mess Kevin Martin left the FCC in.  Agency officials have complained privately that the former chairman didn’t include them in his policy decisions or meetings with high-level economists, technologists and legal minds at the FCC.  They said that Martin was secretive and didn’t tell them of his schedule and his plans, only to reveal sometimes policy notices at the last minute for vote at the FCC’s open monthly meetings.  If you look for the definition of transparency, you won’t find Kevin Martin’s picture…

10 Timeline Memories:

1. 1880] Got a light?: Thomas Edison patents the electric incandescent lamp…
2. 1926] Radio with pictures: John Logie Baird, a Scottish inventor, demonstrates a pictorial transmission machine called television…
3. 1927] Networking: United Independent Broadcasters, Inc. starts a radio network of 16 stations. The company will later be renamed the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)…
4. 1948] Wired: The Wire Recording Corporation of America announces the first magnetic tape recorder. The “Wireway” with a built-in oscillator sells for $149.50.  Here’s a Webster wire recorder in action…
5. 1951] Dropping A bomb: Atomic testing begins in the Nevada desert when an Air Force plane drops a one-kiloton bomb on Frenchman Flats…
6. 1967] Death on the pad: A flash fire aboard Apollo I during a test kills astronauts Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom, Edward H. White and Roger B. Chaffee…
7. 1981] Welcome back: Ronald Reagan welcomes the 52 former Iranian hostages to the White House.  The story of the crisis is told in this clip…
8. 1991] A super performance: Whitney Houston sings the definitive version of our national anthem at Super Bowl XXV and Scott “wide right” Norwood becomes famous for missing a field goal that would have won it for Buffalo. Instead, the Giants win 20-19…
9. 1998] A right-wing conspiracy: First lady Hillary Rodham Clinton blames a “vast right-wing conspiracy” on her husband’s (Monica) personal (Lewinsky) problems on “The Today Show”…
10. 2004] The winner and not champion: John Kerry wins the New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary.  Here, Kerry gives his concession speech…

Music Memories:

• 1956] Released on this date: “Heartbreak Hotel” - Elvis Presley (by April 21st it’s #1)…1968] “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of The Bay“ - Otis Redding (released 6 weeks after his tragic death)…
• 1968] Debuted on this date: The Bee Gees make their U.S. debut with a concert at the Anaheim (CA) Convention Center.  They sang this song…

“Happy Birthday…happy birthday“:

Bridget Fonda (45), Cris Collinsworth (50), Keith Olbermann (50), Mimi Rogers (53), Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts (who swore in Obama twice), (54), Mikhail Baryshnikov (61), Nedra (”Ronettes”) Talley (63) and Bobby “Blue” Bland (79)…

Timeline Countdown: 5 days until the Super Bowl, 18 days until Valentine’s Day and pitchers and catchers voluntarily report to Spring Training and 20 days until Presidents Day…

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