McDowell is Refused OK to Attend Opening WRC Sessions
No FCC members joined senior officials of other countries at World Radiocommunication Conference opening sessions, for the first time in many such events. One commissioner, Deborah Tate, who was already going to be in Europe at the end of next week, was tapped late Thursday by Chairman Kevin Martin to attend the meeting, but not the opening sessions. Martin didn’t immediately comment.
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Commissioner Robert McDowell volunteered months ago to attend the opening meetings but didn’t get authorization from Martin, commission staff said. Sources said Martin told International Bureau staff not to help McDowell with a trip to the WRC. McDowell’s spokeswoman declined to comment. Martin may have linked the matter to unrelated policy discussions with McDowell, regulatory sources said.
FCC members Kathleen Abernathy and Michael Copps attended the 2003 WRC opening sessions. Sources said commissioners’ presence at the conference can help the U.S. delegation and is welcomed by policymakers from around the world.
Having commissioners at WRC is helpful but not critical, Greg Rohde, former NTIA administrator, told us. “The position of the government is decided well in advance and the position of the FCC is determined by the chairman’s office in the first place.” On the other hand, commissioners can help with talks. “This is a place of negotiation,” Rohde said. “If you have principals from the FCC or NTIA that helps the process. If they're not here that decision gets made further down the food chain.”
A second industry source said WRC negotiations generally are “nuts and bolts,” making commissioners of only limited help. But having commissioners attend can help the U.S. delegation’s head, especially one less plugged in than the current leader, Ambassador Richard Russell. “To the extent that a commissioner comes and sits down on a bilateral discussion, it’s a way of saying, ‘This is really important to us,'” the source said. “It helps to have someone who lives and breathes communications and is close to the seat of power. You're making some tough calls. You're able to bounce them off people who know the ropes.”
“It is important for FCC commissioners to attend the WRC, as it shows that the U.S. cares enough about the outcome of the WRC to send senior officials to advocate for U.S. positions with their foreign counterparts,” said an industry attorney active in international issues. Another lawyer said “it definitely adds more heft to the delegation and its arguments if there are high level FCC representatives. High level messengers always help the messages in these international forums.”