Sen. Schatz Named Ranking Member of Communications Subcommittee

It's official, Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) has been named the ranking member on the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet.

Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) announced ranking members Wednesday (Feb. 11).

Schatz is a former state legislator and lieutenant governor. At a hearing on the "Internet of Things" in the full committee Wednesday, he talked about the need to balance protections for privacy and security and taking a light-tough, private sector-driven approach. His suggestion was providing a "good housekeeping" seal of approval on Internet-connected products so consumers could have confidence in them.

Also named to ranking member posts: Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) for the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance, and Data Security and Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) for the Subcommittee on Space, Science, and Competitiveness.

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.