Rockefeller Makes Pitch for Rosenworcel

More than three dozen senators, led by her former boss, have
asked the president to "seriously" consider naming Jessica Rosenworcel as the
next chair of the FCC.

In a letter dated March 22, the legislators point out that
as a sitting commissioner she could be quickly installed as the first woman
chair.

"By choosing a sitting commissioner that has established
bipartisan Senate support, you can quickly install a proven leader at this
important agency," they wrote. "That is particularly critical with the FCC in
the middle of several significant rule makings and other initiatives."

That prominently includes the incentive auctions to reclaim
spectrum from broadcasters, as well as the reform of the Universal Service
Fund, media ownership rule review and the FCC's court defense of network
neutrality rules.

"[Rosenworcel] understands that in the digital age, the FCC
must promote confidence for private investment in our communications
infrastructure, while promoting confidence for consumers to realize the full
potential and opportunity of the digital world," they said.

Leading the signatories was Jay Rockefeller (D-W. Va.),
Rosenworcel's former boss and chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, as well
as Mark Pryor, Bill Nelson, Jeanne Shaheen and a veritable host of others.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.