FCC Chairman Kevin Martin Resigns Tuesday

Today FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin announced his resignation from the Federal Communications Commission, effective January 20, 2009. The Chairman said he leaves the office with great pride in the FCCs accomplishments and with deep gratitude for having had an opportunity to serve the American public.

Chairman Martin stated that his philosophy during his tenure at the FCC has been to pursue deregulation while paying close attention to its impact on consumers and the particulars of a given market, to balance deregulation with consumer protection. He stated that he approached his decisions with a fundamental belief that a robust, competitive marketplace, not regulation, is ultimately the best protector of the public interest and the best method of delivering the benefits of choice, innovation, and affordability to American consumers.

During his tenure at the FCC, the Commission has focused on establishing the appropriate regulatory environment that achieves the right balance between two competing interests: (1) to encourage investment in communications infrastructure and (2) to make sure consumers and innovation are not unintentionally or intentionally disadvantaged by the owners of that infrastructure. Under Chairman Martin, the Commission acted to level the playing field so that all entrants could fairly compete, facilitating increased investment in the next generation of communications infrastructure. At the same time Chairman Martin was able to push for more open platforms to spur innovation on the edges of these networks and deliver lower prices, improved services and greater choice to consumers.

In his letter of resignation to President Bush, Martin wrote, I have had the privilege of serving at the Federal Communications Commission for almost 8 years, including 4 years as the agencys Chairman. During this period, we have seen a telecommunications industry undergoing rapid and unprecedented change. As a result of the market-oriented and consumer focused policies we have pursued the American people are now reaping the rewards of convergence and the broadband revolution including new and more innovative technologies and services at ever-declining prices.

Upon his departure from the Commission, Chairman Martin will serve as a Senior Fellow at the Aspen Institute in Washington, D.C.

The new FCC Chairman will be Julius Genachowski as selected by the U.S. President-elect Barack Obama. The new selected FCC leader was a former classmate of Obama's at Harvard Law School. Genachowski also served as chief counsel for former FCC Chairman Reed Hundt and held various positions at IAC/InterActiveCorp and other technology companies.