FCC's McDowell Proposes Larger Role for Engineers

By Doug Lung
published

Commissioner Robert McDowell has some ideas on how to reform the FCC to better serve the public. In his July 20 letter to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski he recommends "a thorough operational, financial and ethics audit of the Commission and its related entities...."

He's also seeking an updating of FCC strategic planning, a possible agency restructuring, improvements in both internal and external communications and more collaboration with other government entities.

One of his recommendations is to consolidate licenses into a single database. This should benefit broadcasters who have their broadcast licenses in CDBS, their broadcast auxiliary and microwave licenses in ULS, their satellite uplinks and SNG trucks in IBFS, and their towers in the antenna structure registration database.

"I would encourage consideration of filling many of the numerous open positions with highly qualified applicants and making more efficient use of non-attorney professionals," McDowell stated in his letter to Genachowski. "For example, there is no reason why we cannot use engineers to help investigate complaints and petitions that involve technical and engineering questions. This would be especially useful as we continue to consider matters pertaining to network management."

I think most readers would welcome giving FCC engineers more say in FCC decisions.

In Chairman Genachowski's reply to Commissioner McDowell, he announced a new Web site – Reboot.FCC.gov--to solicit reform proposals from every FCC employee and an ongoing review process "to address the important areas you identify in your letter--operational, financial, and ethical; the FCC's strategic plan; potential restructuring; ways to improve external and internal communications, and coordination with other facets of government--as well as others that agency staff, the public and interested parties, and our fellow Commissioners may suggest."

He concluded by stating that he was looking forward to receiving recommendations on specific proposals made by McDowell and others within the organization.

Doug Lung
Doug Lung

Doug Lung is one of America's foremost authorities on broadcast RF technology. As vice president of Broadcast Technology for NBCUniversal Local, H. Douglas Lung leads NBC and Telemundo-owned stations’ RF and transmission affairs, including microwave, radars, satellite uplinks, and FCC technical filings. Beginning his career in 1976 at KSCI in Los Angeles, Lung has nearly 50 years of experience in broadcast television engineering. Beginning in 1985, he led the engineering department for what was to become the Telemundo network and station group, assisting in the design, construction and installation of the company’s broadcast and cable facilities. Other projects include work on the launch of Hawaii’s first UHF TV station, the rollout and testing of the ATSC mobile-handheld standard, and software development related to the incentive auction TV spectrum repack.
A longtime columnist for TV Technology, Doug is also a regular contributor to IEEE Broadcast Technology. He is the recipient of the 2023 NAB Television Engineering Award. He also received a Tech Leadership Award from TV Tech publisher Future plc in 2021 and is a member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the Society of Broadcast Engineers.