Kevin Martin to exit FCC
Chairman to leave org after Obama takes office
Martin's announcement Thursday confirmed what people in telecom policy circles have long suspected. It was a given that the Republican would be replaced as Federal Communications Commission chairman by the new administration, but Martin could have opted to serve out the remaining time on his term as an FCC commissioner.
Instead, Martin said Thursday he would segue to a post as senior fellow at the Aspen Institute think tank. There's long been speculation that Martin will run for elected office in his home state of North Carolina.
For showbiz, Martin's tenure as FCC chief was marked by battles with cable operators over his championing of a la carte pricing of channel packages and his aggressive push to expand and enforce FCC's broadcast indecency rules. In his exit statement, Martin cited the spread of broadband services as a highlight of his time in office.
"As a result of the market-oriented and consumer focused policies we have pursued the American people are now reaping the rewards of convergence and the broadband revolution including new and more innovative technologies and services at ever-declining prices," Martin said.
Martin joined the FCC in 2001 and was named chairman by President Bush in 2005.
