As expected, President Bush has nominated attorney and lobbyist Robert McDowell for the remaining open seat at the Federal Communications Commission. McDowell is an Asst. SVP and General Counsel at Comptel, the trade association for competitive phone companies.
McDowell’s nomination (rumored for weeks to be imminent) allegedly doesn’t sit well with the big incumbent telcos. Phone company execs fear that McDowell’s sympathies with their rivals will tilt the FCC toward more pro-competition policies in the telco sectors. But, McDowell works for Earl Comstock, a former chief aide to Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-AK) so the telcos are afraid to make a fuss.
Once McDowell is confirmed by the Senate, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin will have a Republican majority at the Commission, which has been laboring under a 2-2 split for quite a while.
Cynthia Brumfield at 3:13 PM|Comments(0)
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