A Philadelphia Inquirer editorial sharply criticized FCC Chairman...
A Philadelphia Inquirer editorial sharply criticized FCC Chairman Kevin Martin. It said he played favorites and imposed a “reign of terror” at the commission. “President- elect Barack Obama should move fast, once in office, to replace Martin,” the paper…
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said. It said Martin had “abused his position of power to go after cable companies while treating telecommunications firms with kid gloves.” Comcast, the largest U.S. cable provider, has its headquarters in Philadelphia. Martin’s proposal to cap cable companies’ market shares is an especially bad idea, the editorial said. “It’s easy to beat up on Comcast, which often gets poor marks for customer satisfaction,” the Inquirer said. “And we're all in favor of better service, more competition, and lower cable bills. But Martin’s arbitrary decision-making seems to target one industry, when the goal should be to create an even and competitive playing field.” “It’s absolutely wrong that Chairman Martin favors telecom companies over cable or favors any particular industry,” an FCC spokeswoman said in response. “The commission under Chairman Martin has gone after both industries equally in order to ensure consumer benefits. The fact is that the commission has seen an increase in cable rates and a decrease in telecom rates, and the commission’s goal is to ensure a level playing field.”