Clashing commissioners

Staff -- Broadcasting & Cable, 9/18/2000

Relations between FCC Commissioner Gloria Tristani and her colleagues were a little tense last week, after she requested several late-hour changes to proposals and rules the commissioners planned to approve at its Thursday meeting. Most annoying was a last-minute request to postpone a high-profile cable open-access inquiry. Tristani had wanted a month delay so it could be released with the agency's decision on the America Online-Time Warner merger. Reluctantly, Chairman Kennard agreed to a two-week postponement. Tristani's colleagues were also angered by her other last-minute changes to proposals, which caused a half-hour delay in the meeting's opening and led to two recesses. Said Commissioner Susan Ness: "I would ask that ... Commissioner Tristani do her best to circulate any edits well in advance of the two-week period."