Genachowski's First FCC Public Meeting to Focus on National Broadband Plan

Commission clears Thursday meeting schedule for broadband status report

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 6/29/2009 2:50:29 PM

As Julius Genachowski was preparing to be sworn in Monday as FCC chairman, the commission announced it had cleared the decks for Thursday's public meeting, Genachowski's first as chairman, to focus on the national broadband plan.

Initially the meeting was to also have included decisions authorizing spectrum for a medical information network, permitting AM stations to rebroadcast on FM translators and expanding use of spectrum in upper bandwidths.

But in a notice, the FCC announced the commission had already voted to approve those.

That leaves the status report for a national broadband plan, which the FCC has been charged by Congress and the administration with drafting by February of next year.

It is expected to be the top priority of the new chairman.

The commissioners are also expected to discuss the DTV transition, though it is not officially on the calendar.