Republican Seat Opens Up At The Commish

In what many think was not such a surprise announcement, Republican FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell today said he will leave the agency within the next few weeks, heading out to a long-overdue vacation with his family. "After nearly seven years of carrying out the incredibly high honor of serving the American people at the FCC, it is time to turn more of my energies towards an even higher calling: serving my family," McDowell commented at this morning’s open meeting. He made no statement regarding future employment except to crack, “To paraphrase Monty Python, I’m not dead yet.” President George W. Bush named McDowell to the FCC in 2006, and he was re-appointed by President Obama in 2009. His term expires next year. Consumer watchdog Public Knowledge was one of the first groups to comment, saying, "Although we often disagreed, working with Commissioner McDowell was a pleasure…McDowell deserves enormous credit for defending TV white spaces in its darkest hour and pushing back against House Republicans who saw no value in preserving unlicensed spectrum."