Martin's Renom Gets Senate Commerce Hearing

Martin

KEVIN MARTIN's renomination as FCC Chairman was heard before the SENATE COMMERCE COMMITTEE this morning.   The Committee moved to recommend the renomination to the full SENATE but no vote was taken TODAY.

MARTIN's prepared remarks to the Committee did not address hot-button issues like indecency or ownership limits, but instead focused on broadband deployment, emergency preparations, universal service, and serving the disabled.  But responding to questioning by Sen. BYRON DORGAN (D-ND), MARTIN claimed that the loosening of crossownership rules gave him "pause" and that he wasn't "that comfortable" with the situation when he voted for it, to which DORGAN responded that MARTIN had indeed voted for such changes. MARTIN said that he and the commission would keep an "open mind" on the rules and would also finally hold a final hearing on the localism issue, which Sen. BARBARA BOXER (D-CA) pointed out was started three years ago and was supposed to be done last year.

As ALL ACCESS previously reported, MARTIN was renominated for a full five-year term as Commissioner and Chairman on APRIL 25 (NET NEWS 4/26); no major opposition to the nomination is expected.

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