Communications Law Bulletin -- March, 2007

Among other developments in the month of March, members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee held rescheduled oversight hearings of the Federal Communications Commission (the "FCC" or the "Commission"). This was the first time in four years that the full panel of FCC commissioners had appeared before Committee members, and Democratic members had harsh words for the Commission generally and Chairman Martin in particular.

Committee Chairman Dingell (D-MI) set the tone when he criticized the FCC for usurping Congress’s legislative authority. Dingell was especially unhappy with last December’s FCC action on streamlining of the video franchising rules, and suggested more generally that the Commission might benefit from "an oversight hearing every month to keep the business of the Commission on track."