Paul Kapustka's Blog

June 26, 2006

FCC's Martin in bed with lobbyists?

Gosh, can't wait to see this photo spread.

Guessing there wasn't much posing needed... that everyone knew their places?

According to one of the participants, Alex Vogel, a partner at the high-tech lobbying firm Mehlman Vogel Castagnetti:

"The fact that Kevin is standing on the bed and I am sitting on the bed and everyone in Washington is like 'Oh my God, it's a regulator in bed with a lobbyist' -- I honestly believe that didn't necessarily occur to the photographer," Vogel said. "They certainly took other pictures and they decided to use that one because they are trying to sell magazines."

Anyone got a link to the photo? (According to one reader, there is a small copy on the Wall Street Journal's blog... see if there are more links tomorrow)

Posted by paul at 03:19 PM | Comments (0)

May 26, 2006

FCC now at full strength

Looks like Robert McDowell is out of the Senate penalty box, giving Kevin Martin his first full majority on the commission.

So now things should really move on the eighth floor, eh?

Posted by paul at 01:40 PM | Comments (0)

April 25, 2006

FCC's Martin: Stuffing? I'm staying!

You may or may not like him as chairman of the FCC, but it's not your choice, is it? The person whose choice it is says Martin should stick around a bit longer, and chairman Kev, always a team player, said "sure."

More analysis later, since until today I had been trying to figure out whether or not Martin was prepping to cut and run in order to seek a higher office in '08. But as those who know him say, Martin is smart, and riding on Bush's coattails may not be the attractive option it was a year or so ago. So why not stay at the FCC and burnish the resume a bit?

Quick-hit smackdown gives the genuflection award to Verizon, whose "gosh we're glad Kevin is sticking around to advance our agenda" press communique crossed our virtual desktop probably even before Kevin himself heard the news...

Posted by paul at 10:38 PM | Comments (0)

February 03, 2006

FCC Meeting In Keller? Start The Conflict-Of-Interest Train Rolling

Not sure what to make of the FCC's decision to hold its next open meeting in Keller, Texas, home of Verizon's FiOS rollout.

Maybe FCC chairman Kevin Martin is jealous of TV Network news anchors, who get to jet around the globe to cover the story? Sure, I understand -- the meeting is supposed to be about video franchising, so why not stage it in an area that's breaking new ground. But by placing it so clearly in an area made famous by Verizon marketing seems to smack of payback. Wonder how Kyle feels about this move? Think he's invited?

Let's just hope Martin and the other commissioners are taking commercial flights to Keller, and not fighting for the shotgun seat on Verizon's corporate jet. You wouldn't want more conflicts of interest than those already reached by moving the meeting to Keller.

What's next? FCC commissioners showing how much bandwidth Google takes up by holding a meeting in Ed Whitacre's office? No, that would probably take up too much space on AT&T's pipes.

Posted by paul at 02:54 PM | Comments (0)