Telecom Ramblings

A report from the Commerce and Energy Committe of the US House of Representatives is none too fond of how FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has been running things.  Amongst other things, he is accused of manipulating and cherry-picking evidence, being heavy handed and non-transparent, allowing undue political influence, causing distrust and turmoil amongst his fellow commissioners,  and generally creating a ‘culture of fear’.   

As to the effect on regulatory policy, committee chairman Dingell said in a personal statement:

“in recent years, the FCC has operated in a dysfunctional manner and commission business has suffered as a result,”

Really? We hadn’t noticed!  Haha, we needed a 12 month congressional investigation to tell us this?  Saying that the FCC and current regulatory policy is dysfunctional is somewhat like saying that Hollywood has too many cameras.  Maybe next we can get a congressional investigation into how congress operates in a dysfunctional manner and congressional business also suffers as a result!

Now, I’m no fan of Martin, and I think his tenure at the agency has basically been a waste of time at best.  And I think that much of the report is basically on target.  But it has to be particularly galling to be lectured on this list of organizational failings by Congress.  That’s a bit like being lectured by Bernie Ebbers on corporate ethics, no?