[IP] Michael Powell and the EchoStar-DirecTV deal

[Dave Farber <dave@farber.net>]

I agree with Gerry.   Djf

------ Forwarded Message
From: Gerry Faulhaber <gerry-faulhaber@mchsi.com>
Date: Sat, 12 Oct 2002 22:51:49 -0400
To: dave@farber.net
Subject: Michael Powell and the EchoStar-DirecTV deal

Dave--

I have read plenty of IPers trashing Michael Powell, chair of the FCC, as a
Republican lackey for big business and a market fanatic, etc., etc.

Two days ago, the FCC voted 4-0 to decline to approve the EchoStar-DirecTV
deal, effectively killing it.  This is the first time the FCC has denied a
merger in decades, and it acted before the Justice Department.  Powell's
statement (available at the FCC's website
http://www.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2002/db1010/DOC-227263A2.pd
f) is very strong, very anti-monopoly.   In an era where there is much
public and Congressional pressure on Powell and the FCC to "do something" to
fix the telecoms meltdown (such as support consolidation), this is an act of
courage: he did the right thing when it was hard to do.

I am very surprised that no IPer has commented on this important issue.  The
merger was one of the biggest stories of this year in communications, and
represented a real threat to developing competitive markets in video
delivery.  And yet IPers have been silent on what I view as a courageous
home run on the part of the FCC, and Michael Powell in particular.  I'd be
interested in anyone's views as to why this was treated as a non-event by
IPers.

Gerald Faulhaber
Business and Public Policy Department
Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Philadephia, PA 19104



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