Wednesday, April 18, 2018

A change at the FCC

To tell you the truth, I'm just becoming numb to the terrible decisions that have been coming out of the FCC. This month, for instance, they are going to change ownership rules to allow for MORE consolidation. They've already done it once (for Sinclair), and now they're going to do it again. This is coming on the heels of the Net Neutrality travesty. And now, one of only two Democrats on the board is leaving. From Tom Taylor's NOW column...

Mignon Clyburn to step down as FCC Commissioner. The September 15, 2017 NOW Newsletter story about the long-serving Democrat potentially resigning was headlined “Empty chair at the FCC?” At yesterday’s FCC Open Meeting, Clyburn removed the question mark – she’s leaving, months before she needs to. That shocked the room, apparently even her fellow Commissioners. Quite properly, she’s not revealing her plans. (D.C. observer Leslie Stimson at Inside Towers says Clyburn “did not name an end date and said her future plans are not set.”) But Clyburn’s still got time – barely – to mount a run for her father Jim Clyburn’s House seat, representing South Carolina’s Sixth District. When he won in 1992, he was the first African-American to represent South Carolina in the House since 1897. He’ll be 78 at the end of this term. Jim Clyburn’s attained important leadership positions in the House – and no doubt relishes the possibility of a change back to Democratic control this Fall. But it might be his daughter’s best shot at succeeding him, during a potential Democratic wave. She’s said she’ll remain “in public service” – a change from many recent post-FCC Commissioners. They’ve often turned to private-sector jobs, often running trade groups.