Its enough to restore your faith in Democracy . . .
F.C.C. Media Rule Blocked in House in a 400-to-21 Vote
The lopsided vote suggests that even the threatened Presidential veto could be easily overridden.
Kudos to William Safire and Dan Gillmor for gettingout in front of this one.
See also the Washington Post (House Votes to Reverse Media Ownership Rules) and the Wall Street Journal (In Blow to FCC, House Votes To Limit Media Deregulation).
This now sets the stage for Michael Powell’s not-so-graceful exit; He’s gone by the end of the year. Consider what players may be plucked from the ravaged media moonscape as a replacement — or does the White House go with moderate Republican and FCC member Kevin J. Martin as Chair?
Martin, you may recall, voted with the 2 Dems to provide the Baby Bells with substantial “unbundling” relief for lines utilizing fiber facilities, including no unbundling requirements for fiber-to-the-home loops or hybrid loops that utilize both fiber and cooper (The FCC also eliminated “line sharing” from unbundling requirements).
Martin is devloping a reputation for being a maverick; He voted against Chairman Powell on this issue. W is more of a team oriented manager, and Martin’s independence is not likely to be rewarded with a promotion.
Stay Tuned!
