Results already! AT&T/BellSouth Stalled by Dems
Incoming House Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell (D-Mich.) says he wants the FCC to hold off on the AT&T/BellSouth merger. According to the article in Broadcasting and Cable, Chairman Dingell “says the committee will have to take a hard look at any FCC loosening of media ownership rules, and will take a new crack at a telecom reform bill, with an eye on net neutrality and spectrum for first responders.” He went on to say further that that “the new telecom bill would “clearly” have to address network neutrality, spectrum for public safety, the universal service fund, and the public interest in general.” I think Copps and Adelstein, the two Dem members of the FCC, just picked up a valuable ally in their fight to keep the FCC on the straight and narrow when it comes to the public’s interests, and stop further media and telecomm mergers. Dingell also let it be known that there would be more oversight on FCC decisions come January.
A letter has already been sent to the FCC informing them of Chairman Dingell’s wishes. Rubberstamping the agenda of large corporations against the public’s interest will not be tolerated.
Meanwhile in the Senate, it’s rumored that Senator Inouye, the incoming chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, is reinstating the Communications Subcommittee and one of two Senators to head it. Senator Byron Dorgan, co-sponsor of the Snowe-Dorgan Amendment for Net Neutrality to Steven’s Telecommunication Bill, is one of the two candidates. The other is Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) who has also come out strongly in support of Net Neutrality. This is very good news for Net Neutrality supporters.
Bush has his head in the sand to think he’s going to get Bolton confirmed, or the Domestic Surveillance Program approved in this atmosphere. It’s also a slap in the face to the Dems to whom he’s just promised bipartisan cooperation. I wonder if Bush is prepared to get bitchslapped right back.
Somehow I doubt it. After all, God told him the Republicans were going to win.
Technorati Tags: Net Neutrality, Big Media Mergers, AT&T/BellSouth, FCC, Chairman Dingell, Steven’s Telecommunication Bill, Domestic Surveillance, Bolton, Olympia Snowe, Byron Dorgan, Jay Rockefeller, Daniel Inouye
