WASHINGTON—President-Elect Joe Biden has announced the transition teams for various government departments, including the FCC, which will feature four communications policy vets, including some already with FCC experience.

Mignon Clyburn, former FCC commissioner, who served as acting chair between Julius Genachowski and Tom Wheeler, will be part of the team. So will Paul de Sa, former chief for strategic planning and policy analysis under Wheeler when he was FCC chair.

The transition team will be led by John Williams, senior counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on the Judiciary. Edward “Smitty” Smith, deputy managing partner at DLA Piper LLP and a former legal advisor to Wheeler, rounds out the group.

TVT’s sister publication Multichannel News reported over the summer that Clyburn was among the candidates that could be nominated as FCC chair in a Biden administration.

According to the Biden-Harris transition website, these teams (officially called agency review teams) are responsible for understanding the operations of each agency, ensuring a smooth transition of power and preparing President-Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris for when they take office.

“The teams have been crafted to ensure they not only reflect the values and priorities of the incoming administration, but reflect the diversity of perspectives crucial for addressing America’s most urgent and complex challenges,” the website reads.

The FCC could see some significant change prior to the Biden administration taking over. President Trump nominee Nathan Simington is currently being considered to replace outgoing FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly, though Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) has threatened to put a hold on the nomination. 

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump has nominated Geoffrey Starks as Federal Communications Commissioner. Starks, who is currently the assistant bureau chief of the FCC’s enforcement bureau would serve the remainder of a five year term ending June 30, 2022. Starks would replace Democrat Mignon Clyburn, who recently resigned. Starks was also a senior counsel at the U.S. Justice Department. His nomination, which is backed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, is subject to Senate confirmation.

“I congratulate Geoffrey Starks on his forthcoming nomination to serve as a Commissioner on the Federal Communications Commission,” said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said. “He has a distinguished record of public service, including in the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau, and I wish him all the best during the confirmation process.”

[Read: It’s Official: Clyburn Leaving Commission]

“NAB strongly supports President Trump’s selection of Geoffrey Starks to a seat on the Federal Communications Commission. We endorse his swift confirmation.”

WASHINGTON —Following months of speculation, FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, a Democrat, has announced her plans to step down from the commission at today’s Federal Communications Commission meeting.

Last month, B&C’s John Eggerton reported that “Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has proposed FCC Enforcement Bureau official Geoffrey Starks to succeed Mignon Clyburn as Democratic FCC commissioner when she decides to exit — or when a new nominee speeds that process.” As of this afternoon, it’s unclear whether or not he will be nominated.

Clyburn also remained mum about what’s next on her agenda, although many have speculated about her political ambitions. She is the daughter of South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn, a fellow Democrat. The elder Clyburn will be 78 years old in July but has not announced plans to retire.

Clyburn has served on the commission for eight years. She was nominated by Pres. Barack Obama in 2009 and was confirmed that same year. In 2013 she made history as the first woman to chair the commission, albeit in an acting capacity.

She has been energetic in her defense of Net Neutrality and media ownership diversity initiatives. However, Clyburn was less active in radio issues.

[Read: Radio World’s 2017 interview with Clyburn]

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai — a Republican with whom Clyburn frequently sparred — had this to say in a release about her pending departure: “I congratulate Commissioner Clyburn on her distinguished tenure at the FCC. She has been a tremendous leader and a committed public servant throughout her time here.”

Pai also noted the significance of her time at the FCC. “As the first woman to head the agency, she led skillfully through a transition and put her on stamp on the commission, including through her steadfast leadership in telehealth, media diversity and digital inclusion.”

He also acknowledged there differing viewpoints. “I have enjoyed working with her and, even when we have not seen eye-to-eye on policy, I have always held her candor and thoughtfulness in the highest regard. She’s been a wonderful colleague and friend. I wish her nothing but the best and sincerely thank her for her service.”

Fellow Commissioner Michael O’Rielly tweeted:

Clyburn’s lone female colleague on the commission and fellow Democrat Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel released a statement calling Clyburn “a dynamo” who “represents the best of public service.”

She said, “Commissioner Clyburn has been a forceful advocate for change, for equal opportunity, and for closing the digital divide. It was a privilege to support her history-making leadership as Acting Chairwoman. It has been an honor to work alongside her to put consumers first and bring connectivity to those at greatest risk of being left behind — urban, rural, and everywhere in between. I am proud to have worked together with her to support net neutrality and grateful to have been her partner in her unwavering work to remedy the grave injustice of exorbitant prison phone rates. As she departs this agency, she should know her legacy is intact because so many who work on communications policy will continue to be guided by her outstanding example. I consider myself among them.

[Read: Clyburn Launches ATSC 3.0 Twitter Campaign]

Joining the chorus, NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith also reacted to the news in a statement released today. Smith said, “Mignon Clyburn has served the commission with distinction, dedication and humility over the past eight years. She has been a passionate voice on behalf of consumers and a champion of diversity in the media marketplace during her tenure. NAB and America’s broadcasters wish Commissioner Clyburn well on her future path.”

WASHINGTON—Twitter continues to be a hotbed for political action, as FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn has taken to the social media platform to share her concerns with the ATSC 3.0 rollout framework that FCC is scheduled to vote on Nov. 16. In a tweet, Clyburn said: “Remember when I asked as part of the #NextGenTV NPRM that there be complete assurances that #consumers will not be burdened w/ unwanted, unexpected costs? Not looking good despite nxt week’s @FCC action.

Read the full story on TVT’s sister publication B&C.

For a comprehensive list of TV Technology’s ATSC 3.0 coverage, see our ATSC3 silo.

WASHINGTON—Deregulation is a buzz word at the FCC under Chairman Ajit Pai’s leadership. However, Democratic FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn told the crowd at the Tuesday, Oct. 17, Media Institute Luncheon that she is concerned about the chosen path of the FCC’s majority, especially when it comes to localism, viewpoint diversity and access to affordable communication services.

“Change is inevitable, particularly in this fast-paced, technology-driven space,” said Clyburn. “But what is unsettling is that many of the changes we are currently making at the FCC have a one-sided benefit. And the impact on consumers, competition in the public interest, are mere afterthoughts. The FCC is a regulatory agency with a charge that requires us to protect the public interest.

“This means we should strive to strike and maintain the proper balance when it comes to consumer and industry interests. Yet, when it comes to the future of our media landscape, the FCC majority is embarking on a path toward a regulatory free-zone.”

One key point of Clyburn’s talk focused on the consolidation of local broadcast stations. Clyburn pointed out that recent reports have shown a bit of a boom among broadcasters, thanks in large part to ad spending and retransmission feeds, so she asserts that the “horror stories” being shared by broadcasters don’t line up. The FCC majority continues to push forward with deregulation efforts with the stated intent to help these broadcasters, but Commissioner Clyburn believes that the public interest is being ignored during all of this.

“How will consumers be impacted by fewer sources of local news? Should we be content that, of the nearly 1,400 full power stations, African Americans own just 12? Should we not show concern of a single broadcast station group controls local news coverage being delivered to more than 70 percent of U.S. households?” the commissioner posed.

Clyburn also asserts that the FCC’s Republicans are being hypocritical in some areas on deregulation, as it is the commission’s majority pushing for the reintroduction of UHF discounts.

The affordability of communication services for consumers, including broadband deployment, was another key area of interest in Clyburn’s speech. She cited the difficulties currently experienced by some on the Lifeline program, or who lack the ability to even receive the benefits of the Lifeline program.

Clyburn also took another look at the recent report from the commission that said that the wireless market was indeed competitive. Clyburn asserted this was the first time in her tenure that this finding was made and perhaps what changed the status was the omission of analysis on the entire commercial mobile wireless ecosystem, which had been present in the previous six reports. “This most recent report based its findings of effective competition on a much narrower set of criteria,” she said.

During a Q&A session, Clyburn faced questions posed by multiple reporters on the comments delivered by Chairman Pai on President Trump’s recent comments about revoking broadcast licenses. Clyburn first reminded attendees that, while appointed by the president and approved by the Senate, the FCC is an independent agency and that its guidelines prohibit it to intervene on comments or requests from either party against a broadcast station because it would be inconsistent with the First Amendment. Asked whether or not she completely believed Chairman Pai’s statement, she said, “I take him literally.”

Clyburn concluded her speech saying that the five FCC commissioners have an incredible chance to serve the public interest in the communications and the technology space. “By working together, we have a unique opportunity to make better public policy decisions, to spur economic growth and to create jobs as well as educational and healthcare opportunities that all of our citizens will benefit from,” she said.

“My word of the day is inclusion. Every community needs to be included in the great promise that we are on the cusp of.”