NESS BIDS ADIEU TO FCC AT HER LAST AGENDA MEETING
FCC Comr. Ness will leave FCC at end of May proud of her work on E-rate and Telecom Act implementation, disappointed that agency didn’t move on redefining broadcast markets to ease radio concentration and ready to “weigh her options” for next job, she told news media after FCC agenda meeting Thurs. Ness reportedly has been thinking about going into academia, but she wouldn’t give any hints in impromptu news conference other than saying any future job probably would involve communications. “I am squelching the rumor that I'm opening a world-class restaurant in the Portals,” Ness said. FCC’s Portals building is in area not known for good restaurants.
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Ness said her biggest frustration was with time it took to make major changes such as opening telecom markets or reforming universal service. “It takes time to open monopoly markets,” to deal with “complex issues” such as universal service, Ness said. Asked what she considered most important issues facing FCC in future, she cited eliminating implicit subsidies and addressing competition and pricing issues. She said after news conference that she was particularly sorry she couldn’t continue pressing for action on radio market redefinitions, which affect number of stations one owner can have in market. Because of complex formula used, some markets are so concentrated that 2 top players have 95- 98% of market, she said. Ness said she hoped FCC would act soon to address market definition issues and “provide an appropriate mechanism for reviewing mergers and acquisitions, particularly for radio.” She said it “belies logic to draw conclusions based on a mechanism that doesn’t work.”
Agency highlighted Ness at her last agenda meeting, with tributes by other commissioners at beginning of meeting, reception afterward attended by current and past FCC staff, including Ness’s former advisers. Comr. Furchtgott-Roth revealed that he and Ness met every Tues. at 5 p.m. to debate issues. “We even agreed once in awhile,” Ness said, and conversations always were stimulating. Powell said Ness contributed, in particular, to WARC issues, DTV, children’s programming. Ness also served as chmn. of Federal- State Joint Board on Universal Service. “I don’t know who we will ever get” to fill Ness’s shoes as well on joint board, Comr. Tristani said. Ness has been on Commission for 7 years.
Chmn. Powell said this might be Furchtgott-Roth’s last meeting, too, because there was possibility his successor could be sworn in by June 20 agenda meeting. Furchtgott-Roth has pledged to stay on board until new commissioners take their seats, which will occur after Senate confirmation. Tristani said that 3-1/2 years ago, she, Powell and Furchtgott-Roth “were the new kids on the block. It’s hard to believe one of us is leaving and it’s not me.” Ness said Furchtgott-Roth “pushed us to think.”