Pai Unleashed

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FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai spoke at the Free State Foundation’s 10th Anniversary Luncheon this week and did not hold back. Pai has not been a big fan of the current Chairman, Thomas Wheeler, and is being talked about as a possible replacement for Wheeler when he departs the agency, when the Trump administration takes over. Pai says he’s optimistic that last month’s election will prove to be an inflection point—and that during the Trump Administration, we will shift from playing defense at the FCC to going on offense. Here’s more of what Pai had to say…

Pai said he’s hopeful, moving forward, the Commission will do a better job of respecting the rule of law. “If we have a good idea that we don’t have the power to put into practice, then we should ask Congress to give us that power. The FCC is a creature of Congress, and it strains our legitimacy when we exceed the limits it’s placed on us. It’s also a waste of time and effort. For when a court invalidates a Commission order, as it did in the municipal broadband case, we end up accomplishing nothing.”

He also took aim at outdated regulations. “As anyone who has attempted to take a quick spin through Part 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations could tell you, the regulatory underbrush at the FCC is thick. We need to fire up the weed whacker and remove those rules that are holding back investment, innovation, and job creation. Free State and others have already identified many that should go. And one way the FCC can do this is through the biennial review, which we kicked off in early November. Under section 11, Congress specifically directed the FCC to repeal unnecessary regulations. We should follow that command.”

Pai has been a good friend to radio and many radio executives are hoping Pai or Commissioner O’Riely, also a friend to radio, are appointed to run the Commission.

1 COMMENT

  1. Which regulations, precisely, would be the ones to create more jobs in radio, were they to be cut?
    Doesn’t say, obviously. I suppose the ones connected with automation and merging four staffs into one?

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