Changes appear to be brewing at the Federal Communications Commission, as current Commissioner Robert McDowell announced plans to step down while rumors continue to circulate that current Chairman Julius Genachowski could be following McDowell out the door.
McDowell said yesterday that he planned to step down from the FCC “sometime soon.”
“I will be talking to the FCC’s Chief Ethics Officer, Patrick J. Carney, to make sure that my departure is in full compliance with the letter and spirit of all of our ethics rules,” McDowell said in a statement. “Beyond that, I have no plans other than to take my family on a much-needed vacation starting this weekend.”
McDowell, a Republican member of the FCC, was initially appointed by President Bush in 2006, and re-appointed in 2009, transitioning between Republican and Democratic administrations.
While McDowell has made his future plans at the FCC somewhat clear, many in Washington, D.C., expect Genachowski to make a similar announcement, perhaps as soon as next week. A number of observers have noted that Genachowski has been hinting at soon leaving his position at the FCC to take on other ventures. Genachowski was appointed chairman in 2009.
Many noted that it would make sense for the President and legislatures to move forward with appointing a new Democratic chairman and Republican commissioner to the FCC on a similar time frame.
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