FCC chairman to get fat congressional probe

Gulp. FCC chairman Kevin Martin is prepping for a big ol' congressional probe this morning. Martin received a letter today warning that he is being investigated for, "management practices that may adversely affect the Commission's ability to both discharge effectively its statutory duties and to guard against waste, fraud, and abuse." Martin, you'll recall, was recently accused of being in Verizon's back pocket during its attempt to revise the 700MHz open-access rule. The investigation is prompted by allegations made by "credible" FCC employees, both current and former, so far reaching -- including its handling of Comcast and the so-called, 70-percent ruling -- that Ars Technica expects it to turn the "FCC upside down." Martin has two weeks to deliver "a truckload" of records to Congress before this revolution gets televised.

[H4MM3R @ Mar 13th 2008 7:33AM]

Fat Probe?

[adamb716 @ Mar 13th 2008 7:34AM]

Looks like he's on his way outta there.

[AJ in the East Bay @ Mar 13th 2008 7:50AM]

I thought this guy was doing good, but I guess one never really knows what the real story is.

[Xultar @ Mar 13th 2008 8:10AM]

Looks like a fat probe is EXACTLY what his boney ass needs.

[Todd @ Mar 13th 2008 8:14AM]

Maybe, just maybe, we will see the massive corruption exposed. I can only hope this will lead to the American public watching the heads of the telcos shitting bricks live on TV. We'll see...

[Ralph @ Mar 13th 2008 8:32AM]

Is it anything like the probe Eric Cartman got in the first season of South Park?

[bigmac69 @ Mar 13th 2008 8:39AM]

while they're at it they should investigate them selves for all the kick backs from the nba over the xm sirius merger.

[Ryan Albert @ Mar 13th 2008 8:52AM]

I guess that means no XM SIRIUS announcement for another year while they divert resources!!!

[Jimbo @ Mar 13th 2008 1:45PM]

sad but true. The FCC lets ClearChannel run rampant in its quest gobble up all radio stations and control all concert venues but puts the XM-Sirius merger under an electron microscope?

[andy @ Mar 13th 2008 9:49AM]

You guys have got to be kidding "telco's shaking in their boots"?


Kevin Martin is in hot water precisely because he WAS NOT in with the telco's. Think about what he's made the news for:

net neutrality
actually enforcing net neutrality (comcast investigation)
700Mhz open access rules
a la carte programming
cable card (and enforcing it)

The telco's and cable companies hate this guy. "former employees" is code for we bought someone to fabricate some stuff, tarnish his reputation, and hopefully force a resignation without any real evidence. It's easy to find "former employees" with an axe to grind, throw a littl money in the mix, and they'll turn into song birds.

[Jimbo @ Mar 13th 2008 2:10PM]

While that may be true (which honestly I don't really know), during his tenure as chair of the FCC the only thing on that list that he's managed to do with some success is the 700 MHz open access rules, and we still don't know how that is going to fall out. Everything else was a nonstarter. There's no a la carte programming available, the cable companies and CableLabs are still way too restrictive with CableCard, and net neutrality still doesn't exist. Not to mention allowing ClearChannel to get bigger and all but control the radio. To me, he sounds like every other chair before him.

[andy @ Mar 13th 2008 2:29PM]

He sounds like every other chair, because, like you mentioned, you haven't paid any attention to anything he's done or advocated.

[Jimbo @ Mar 13th 2008 3:22PM]

"Advocating" and "doing" are two different things. He may have "advocated" everything on your list. But as I stated in my original post, the only thing he's "done" is the 700 MHz open-access rules. It's not that I'm oblivious; I just think actions mean more than words.

[Steve Jobs @ Mar 13th 2008 10:32AM]

BOHICA - Bend over here it comes again.

[OneLove @ Mar 13th 2008 10:43AM]

...FCC chairman to get fat congressional ANAL probe. (I hate dirty politicians and the women who love them)

[Casper Christensen @ Mar 13th 2008 11:15AM]

Doesn't he look like a suit-n-tie version of Russel Crow ?!?

[Bob @ Mar 13th 2008 12:44PM]

Nope

[ManekiNeko @ Mar 13th 2008 11:27AM]

Wow, Kevin Martin corrupt? Who EVER would have seen that coming?!

All sarcasm aside, good riddance to bad rubbish. Maybe now the freakin' FCC will finally take net neutrality seriously.

[the_fozz @ Mar 13th 2008 5:42PM]

you have high hopes

[Dan @ Mar 13th 2008 6:43PM]

Please, get someone to deregulate cable and DSL to markets and open them up for DOCSIS 3! Improve our customer service with telecom! Bring on competition!

[David Fox @ Mar 13th 2008 10:10PM]

Andy, you've got your head right up your a$$. Martin, along with the other two republicans on the FCC board, voted to remove a 30+ year old law separating print news media and TV. I suppose you believe that a further consolidation in news sources is a good idea?

One of the two Democrats on the FCC board had this to say about it; "'Today the Federal Communications Commission empowers America's new media elite with unacceptable levels of influence over the ideas and information upon which our society and our democracy depend,' said Commissioner Michael Copps."

http://money.cnn.com/2003/06/02/news/companies/fcc_rules/