FCC commissioners move to Comcast shows the revolving door is still spinning

FCC commissioners move to Comcast shows the revolving door is still spinning (Full Version)

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Brain -> FCC commissioners move to Comcast shows the revolving door is still spinning (5/22/2011 8:23:49 PM)
They probably won't be able to prove anything wrong but I think she was involved with approving the merger when she also made commitments to accepting her new position. I must say I am surprised that Republicans are investigating the matter. For me to have complete confidence in the investigation it requires investigating by someone arms length or independent from the political process but this is better than nothing. FCC commissioner's move to Comcast shows the revolving door is still spinning Meredith Attwell Baker's new employer is the corporate entity whose merger with NBCUniversal was blessed by the FCC in January. "You have to be a little surprised Comcast was still interested in me after I told them all the things I would be recused from," Baker told me. But that's disingenuous, and her job change is a scandal. The rules she complied with are designed to place a white dusting of powdered sugar over what is deep down a grimy Washington institution — the revolving door. The restrictions she faces are hardly stringent, their effects easily circumvented. She's not prevented from lobbying Congress or from strategizing with her new colleagues about how they should present Comcast's case to regulators. Comcast will be able to make full use of all her experience as a regulatory veteran, thank you very much. “The system is fundamentally flawed," says Andrew Schwartzman, policy director of the Washington-based Media Access Project. Thanks to the revolving door, "People attain expertise which is extremely valuable to the regulated companies and turn around and make that expertise available to them at the expense of the public." http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hiltzik-20110522,0,966734.column Issa says it doesn't appear Baker's departure violated any rules, but he still wants information. \| AP Photo [image]local://upfiles/392475/DB5773100ACF42C99C47B1B06EDDCD91.jpg[/image]

tazzygirl -> RE: FCC commissioners move to Comcast shows the revolving door is still spinning (5/22/2011 8:33:11 PM)
The man told me about this. I do think answers are in order.

Termyn8or -> RE: FCC commissioners move to Comcast shows the revolving door is still spinning (5/23/2011 2:29:36 AM)
Things like this have been going on for a long time. I remember when a single entity could only own the majority in one TV, FM and AM station in any given market. Two stations in the Cleveland market have merged their news departments, 35 years ago they wouldn't dare to even think of doing that. And now for the most part your favorite radio station probably doesn't pick the music. It's done by a programming company. Yeah, "programming", sounds about right. Eventually all the gas stations will be company owned as well. That's the trend, to crush smaller businesses in any given endevor. In time it's going to be like that "Dinosaurs" TV show in which there is one company running everything - the "We Say So" corporation. We know who "they" work for, and it ain't us. They did at one time. When some of the larger railroads colluded and operated at a loss to put the smaller ones out of business the government hit them with the Sherman Antitrust act. We won't see any such actions these days. Of course the railroads were going to raise prices back up to profit making levels - and beyond. How Walmartesque, way beyond their time. These days they would probably get a tax abatement for doing that. T^T

MrRodgers -> RE: FCC commissioners move to Comcast shows the revolving door is still spinning (5/23/2011 6:12:52 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Termyn8or Things like this have been going on for a long time. I remember when a single entity could only own the majority in one TV, FM and AM station in any given market. Two stations in the Cleveland market have merged their news departments, 35 years ago they wouldn't dare to even think of doing that. And now for the most part your favorite radio station probably doesn't pick the music. It's done by a programming company. Yeah, "programming", sounds about right. Eventually all the gas stations will be company owned as well. That's the trend, to crush smaller businesses in any given endevor. In time it's going to be like that "Dinosaurs" TV show in which there is one company running everything - the "We Say So" corporation. We know who "they" work for, and it ain't us. They did at one time. When some of the larger railroads colluded and operated at a loss to put the smaller ones out of business the government hit them with the Sherman Antitrust act. We won't see any such actions these days. Of course the railroads were going to raise prices back up to profit making levels - and beyond. How Walmartesque, way beyond their time. These days they would probably get a tax abatement for doing that. T^T Oil and RR were the only two industries against which the Sherman anti-trust laws have been successfully used. However true blue rapacious capitalism survives in spades. The oil companies prior to the latest when there were 7, were each allowed to become bigger than all of standard oil was prior to but after the lawsuit and even those have been allowed to merge. Then the typically risk averse, rent-seeking capitalist got the federal govt. to pick up the tab for all RR medical care and retirement. Don't you love the so-called free market ? [sic] People, this IS capitalism. Govt. regulators are quick in selling out the country to do what...make some fucking money. That's America. Govt. and society exist to serve the profiteers...not the other way around. How many financial regulators have gone to work for Goldman, JP Morgan or BOA ? Anybody know ?

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