The FCC is “broken” and takes too long...
The FCC is “broken” and takes too long to respond to technological change and solve problems, said the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council in a response to the commission’s call for suggestions on how to revamp procedures (CD Dec 6…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Communications Daily is required reading for senior executives at top telecom corporations, law firms, lobbying organizations, associations and government agencies (including the FCC). Join them today!
p3). MMTC’s comments propose a litany of procedural tweaks to improve the commission’s speed and responsiveness to diversity issues and tech advancements. The list includes the creation of a National Broadband Plan Advisory Committee to update the commission’s broadband plan every two years to “keep pace” with “disruptive technologies,” allowing commissioners other than the chairman to bring an item up for vote and a U.S. Supreme Court-style cert process for applications for review. MMTC also suggested commission procedure could be sped up if major decisions were each assigned a specific commissioner to shepherd them so they move “through the agency to the 8th floor expeditiously.” On diversity, MMTC suggested the Enforcement Bureau create a Civil Rights Division, that the commission hire a chief diversity officer, and that a commissioner could take responsibility “for inclusion and competitive opportunities for minority- and women-owned business enterprises.” Most of the suggested reforms could be adopted without congressional action, said MMTC. “Most of them would cost nothing and could produce savings for the Commission, as well as growth, job creation and diversity for the regulated industries."