Shout-Outs For Martin From Telcos, PTC
Lauditory comments come as he announces he will join Aspen Institute.
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 1/15/2009 10:41:00 AM
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin was getting a shout-out from some quarters for his tenure at atop the commission. That came as he announced he was resigning Jan. 20 to join think tank, The Aspen Institute.
"The state of U.S. broadband is better for his leadership and his pro-investment policies," said USTelecom President Walter McCormick, citing the boom in broadband investment while Martin was in the big chair, including $120 million in the last two years alone. His is a record to build on in the years to come,”
Martin's pro-telecom policies also included franchise reforms that allowed telephone companies to more easily compete with cable for multichannel video customers.
Martin pointed to the broadband build-out as one of his legacies during the final public FCC meeting Tuesday where he announced he was leaving after eight years--he technically could have stayed on as a commissioner through 2011.
Martin also cited his enforcement of indecency regulations as one of his legacies.
“During Kevin Martin’s tenure as FCC chairman he never lost sight of who he works for – the American people, not corporations, not industries, but Americans," said Parents Television Council President Tim Winter. "The policies he put into place will positively touch the lives of Americans for generations to come.”
PTC complaints helped spur the FCC's change in enforcement policy toward so-called fleeting indecencies.
His indecency enforcement policy may or may not be able to claim such a legacy, however. FCC indecency findings have been challenged, and smacked down, in court, and it is up to the Supreme Court now to determine just what that legacy will be.
"The FCC chairman's job is one of the most difficult in Washington,” said NAB President David Rehr. “On behalf of the broadcast industry, I want to express our thanks to Kevin Martin for his public service. NAB respects Kevin Martin's intellect and his belief in the lifeline role played by local broadcasters. We wish him well."
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