FCC APPROVES REORGANIZATION OF AGENCY, PERSONNEL SHIFTS
FCC announced formal approval Thurs. of major portion of agency realignment following consent of all 4 commissioners and approval by National Treasury Employees Union Local 209. Agency must notify Congress of changes before they can become effective, and Chmn. Powell indicated in news conference that lawmakers could seek changes in plan, but were unlikely to do so. Bureaus seeing most changes are: Mass Media and Cable Services, which will be combined into new Media Bureau; Common Carrier, which will become Wireline Competition Bureau; International Bureau, which, like others, will see some of its duties change.
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New Media Bureau, headed by former Cable Bureau Chief Kenneth Ferree, will be responsible for policy and licensing programs for cable and broadcast TV and radio. It will handle all multichannel video programming distribution issues, direct broadcast satellite service (DBS) policy, and related issues such as competition policy, political programming, spectrum allocation policy, industry analysis. New bureau will conduct rulemakings, resolve waiver petitions and adjudications and will process applications for authorization, assignment, transfer and renewal of media services, including AM, FM, TV, cable TV relay service and related matters. Bureau’s staff will come from former Mass Media and Cable Services bureaus. Bureau will be organized into following units: Management and resources staff, Office of Communications & Industry Information, Policy Div., Industry Analysis Div., Engineering Div., Office of Broadcast License Policy, Audio Div., Video Div.
FCC officials said there would be no layoffs as result of combining bureaus, but said duties would be shifted, in some cases to other bureaus. Former Mass Media Bureau Chief Roy Stewart, as expected, said he would stay on with combined bureau as chief of Broadcast Licensing Policy and told reporters there was no rancor over change. “One of the main reasons I stayed… is I really have the highest respect for the people standing behind me and my staff, so I think there’s no downside,” Stewart said standing at podium in front of other bureau chiefs. Comrs. paid tribute to his more than 36 years of service to agency. Powell, who noted that he was 2 years old when Stewart began working for Commission in 1965, thanked him for his willingness to continue.
Powell said Stewart was “one of the most exceptional, committed public servants I have ever had the pleasure to run into and work with.” Comr. Martin gave Stewart small token, guide to winning at blackjack, saying Stewart had tried -- unsuccessfully -- to instruct him on finer points when they were in Las Vegas for Consumer Electronics Show recently. Comr. Abernathy called Stewart “a treasure” and Comr. Copps saluted him as “a great public servant.” Stewart, red-faced from all attention, received standing ovation.
New Wireline Competition Bureau will be responsible for policy of common carriers and ancillary operations other than wireless telecom services. It will conduct rulemakings, resolve waiver petitions and adjudications, determine whether carrier tariffs are legal, act on applications for authorizations, administer accounting requirements for incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs), review carrier performance, administer reporting requirements. Bureau will be composed of staff from current Common Carrier Bureau and have 4 divisions instead of 6, plus administrative and management office. Bureau will have separate divisions on competition policy, pricing policy, telecom access policy, industry analysis and technology.
Consumer Affairs Bureau will be renamed Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau, but its responsibilities will be much as before. Bureau will institute policies to enhance public understanding of Commission’s work and facilitate FCC’s relationships with other govt. agencies. Like other bureaus, it will conduct rulemakings. It also will interact with public, federal, state, local, tribal and other govt. agencies, oversee Consumer/Disability Telecom Advisory Committee and Local and State Govt. Advisory Committee, handle informal complaints, consumer outreach and education, maintain FCC filings. New bureau will take some staff and duties from Cable Services and Common Carrier and will handle cable services information functions currently performed in Cable Services Bureau and some related rulemaking functions now handled in Common Carrier. New bureau will have offices of administration and management, systems support, information access and privacy. There will be separate divisions for consumer inquiries and complaints, policy, disabilities rights, consumer affairs and outreach, reference information center.
International Bureau will be realigned, consolidating international policy and spectrum rulemaking functions and intergovernmental and regional leadership and planning functions, which now are distributed throughout bureau. Revamped bureau will have management and staff office and divisions on policy, satellite, strategic analysis and negotiations.
Other organizational changes: Enforcement Bureau will handle pole attachment complaints and some multichannel video and cable TV services complaints currently handled by Cable Bureau. It also will handle common carrier audit functions. Wireless Bureau will handle instructional TV fixed services and MMDS matters currently in Mass Media Bureau. Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs will be renamed Office of Legislative Affairs.