FCC Staffers Feel They Can Do Their Jobs, After Martin Departure, Adelstein Says
FCC staff have been thrilled with the new openness there and many have told Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein so in the weeks since the departure of former Chairman Kevin Martin, Adelstein said in the edition of C-SPAN’s The Communicators that aired over the weekend. Adelstein reiterated that the first stage of the DTV transition went better than expected, though he warned that broadcasters still have a long way to go.
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“We're working together very well,” Adelstein said. “Even if we don’t agree on everything, the communications is much better than it used to be… All of us always got along well, except that for sometimes the way the chairman was conducting business made it difficult for there to be a free flow of information. “
FCC staffers are pleased with the way acting Chairman Michael Copps is managing the agency, Adelstein said. “I can’t tell you how many staff have come up to me and said what a relief it is, this new regime, and how much more open and free they feel about being able to their jobs,” he said. “After all, they are public servants and they care about the agency and they want to be able to participate in the decision making and too often they felt in the past that their views were disregarded, that there were only a handful of self-selected elite that were running the agency based on their own views.”
Adelstein said in his view the first stage of the DTV transition went well last week. “Those [markets] that went we found we were able to handle the call volumes, we were able to handle the issues that were raised,” he said. “I think it gives us some confidence going forward. We don’t want to get complacent here because there’s a huge amount to go… We have to recognize that most of the country still has to transition.” Adelstein said consumers who haven’t applied for coupons shouldn’t wait. “They need to get on it right now,” he said. “The fact is you need to apply immediately in order to make this transition. It’s not that long of delay.” He said that by June the FCC should have walk-in centers in place in each market to help with the transition, staffed by volunteers and paid staff. He also said the commission needs to do a better job of coordinating the national toll-free number for the transition with efforts in local communities.
Adelstein also said the FCC is getting started on an examination of media ownership by minorities and women. “It’s badly lagged and we need to get working immediately on some studies to prepare for a new regime,” he said.