Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin has two weeks to deliver a truckload of written records to Congress, reports ArsTechnica.
They’re being demanded by House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair John Dingell (D-MI), who sent Martin a request letter (pdf) today, cosigned by Rep. Joe Barton of Texas, the ranking Republican on the Committee.
Dingell’s Committee wants all e-mails, handwritten notes, phone conversation records, meeting schedules, and whatever else exists in paper or electronic form since January 2005 involving the audit’s case file, plus all records related to:
- The FCC’s decision to drop the conclusions of a 2004 study that concluded that “a la carte” video programming—in which consumers can pick and choose which channels to buy—will hurt cable networks attempting “innovative or untested formats.” The agency Commissioned the work from Booz Allen, but revised its position the next year with a “Further Report” that criticized the Booz Allen study. Martin is an outspoken advocate of a la carte programming.
- The Commission’s conclusion in November of 2007 that the cable industry had reached the so-called “70/70″ threshold. The Communications Act stipulates that when cable systems with 36 or more activated channels can be viewed by 70 percent of US households and when 70 percent of those households subscribe to them, the FCC can impose “additional rules necessary to promote diversity of information sources.”
- The FCC’s ten recently commissioned media ownership studies, and documents related to the agency’s decision not to change any of the Commission’s media ownership rules save the newspaper/TV cross-ownership ban.
And that’s only for starters. Dingell and Barton want Martin to hand over any directives involving “limitations or restrictions imposed on FCC employees’ ability to communicate with each other concerning official agency business” and other matters.
While Chairman Martin’s recent action towards “open access” provisions in the 700 MHz band was praised by many consumers, the Bush appointee was generally on the wrong side of consumer advocates who have opposed his policies almost from the start of his appointment in 2001.
Clear Channel and SBC, both San Antonio-based business, should have few complaints. They became dominant industry players under Martin’s leadership.
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