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— Regulatory —
An exception is Julius Genachowski, the new chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. Sworn in June 29, four days after his Senate confirmation, Genachowski is enjoying his own version of Obamamania. Some of the most prominent public advocacy groups have heaped praise on the 46-year-old Harvard Law School classmate of the president. Before he even has cast a vote at the FCC, some of the plaudits for Genachowski read like he has single-handedly broken up media monopolies, delivered free broadband access to the poorest inner-city neighborhoods and lowered everyone's phone bills. The reaction of Josh Silver, executive director of media consolidation opponent Free Press, exemplifies the goodwill Genachowski is receiving from the public interest crowd. "We are thrilled," Silver said in a statement minutes after Genachowski was confirmed June 25. "The agenda awaiting Genachowski on day one is enormous but there is no doubt that he is the right man for the job. We are confident that the public interest will be at the forefront of the Genachowski FCC, and look forward to working with him."
Free Press spokeswoman Jen Howard thought highly enough of Genachowski to switch jobs and become his FCC press officer. Such high praise might seem a little premature, given that Genachowski hasn't yet laid out an agenda for the commission. Also, Genachowski hasn't exactly spent his career making corporations flinch. Most recently, he was a managing director of venture capital firm Rock Creek Ventures and a special adviser to buyout firm General Atlantic LLC. He is a co-founder of LaunchBox Digital, which provides funding for Web startups. Sure, the venture world isn't exactly backing the likes of AT&T Inc., but before helping launch Rock Creek Ventures, Genachowski spent eight years as a senior executive at Barry Diller's IAC/InterActiveCorp, where his positions included chief of business operations and general counsel. This is Genachowski's second stint at the FCC. Before joining Diller, he served as the chief counsel to Reed Hundt, who chaired the FCC during the middle part of the Clinton administration. Genachowski also was special counsel to FCC General Counsel William Kennard, who followed Hundt as chairman. But it isn't Genachowski's FCC or business experience that energizes Silver. Genachowski has been a critical backer for Obama, helping him raise campaign funds and crafting the president's telecommunications policy. "Julius was central in crafting Obama's media and technology agenda," Silver says. "It reads like a wish list for public interest groups. At least in his plan, the guy has said his priority will be the needs of the public, not what Comcast or AT&T need." That is a major break, Silver says, from the two previous chairmen -- Republicans Michael Powell and Kevin Martin, who "were doing what filled the needs of the biggest companies." Major tenets of Obama's Genachowski-penned technology and media platform include ensuring "network neutrality" so Internet service providers don't impede access to rivals' content, encouraging diversity in media ownership by increasing minority ownership, promoting "First Amendment-friendly" ways to protect kids from inappropriate Internet content and protecting privacy rights. Indeed, Genachowski did signal that he intends to lead an activist FCC. "The FCC's potential as a force for good remains constant," he said in an address to agency staff June 30. "Communications must play a role in solving many of our nation's most pressing challenges. It's the FCC's job -- our job -- to turn this aspiration into reality. We will be judged by whether we find concrete, practical ways to improve the lives of all of our nation's people." Another public interest advocate, however, says it's too soon to be piling on the praise. "It remains to be seen what Julius Genachowski's legacy is going to be," says Jeffrey Chester, the executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy. "Julius has to prove himself," he adds. "There's no reason to assume he'll be a transformative chairman. He's worked for one of the biggest media and interactive marketing companies." He says companies owned by IAC, such as LendingTree, helped fuel the housing bubble by pushing homebuyers to mortgage brokers and "did other kinds of things." Says Chester: "It's naive to think that Julius is going to be some kind of media reformer." Chester predicted Genachowski's FCC will operate on the same model as the agency did during the Clinton years -- "when the FCC and the White House worked in lockstep." So that means the public interest lobby must bring as much pressure to bear on the White House as it does on FCC commissioners. However accommodating the Genachowski FCC may be to industry, Chester conceded he and his allies will find it a more welcoming place than under Republican leadership. "His door will be open, and he'll be sympathetic," Chester says. |
The adulation President Obama receives from his most ardent supporters rarely transfers to his picks for federal appointments. 
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