January 13th, 2009
New FCC chair: tech advisor Genachowski
And the new chairman of the FCC … Julius Genachowski, Barack Obama’s tech advisor and Harvard cohort, reports the Wall Street Journal.
Genachowski knows the FCC ropes, having served as chief counsel to FCC chair Reed Hunt during the Clinton Administration. Forbes says that Genachowski was also being considered for the still-unfilled CTO position, but his experience at FCC made him the better fit there.
After leaving the FCC, Genachowski worked as an executive for Barry Diller’s IAC/InterActive Corp., so he knows the Internet from a business perspective. He was also a top bundler for the Obama campaign, delivering $500,000 in funds.
So where does he stand? WSJ reports:
During the campaign, Mr. Genachowski served as the top technology adviser to Mr. Obama, putting together a detailed technology and innovation plan that expressed support for open Internet or “net neutrality” protections; media-ownership rules that encourage more diversity; and expansion of affordable broadband access across the country.
