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Obama Nominates Bush Official to Fill FCC Seat

Appointee oversaw controversial DTV coupon program

By Martin H. Bosworth
ConsumerAffairs.com

June 25, 2009

Baker will join fellow nominees Mignon Clyburn and chairman-in-waiting Julius Genachowski on the commission, which has been understaffed since the end of the Bush administration. The FCC has five members, three of which come from the majority political party in power, requiring the other two seats to come from the opposition party.

Baker previously served in the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), under former Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez.

"I had the opportunity to work with Meredith Baker while she led NTIA and I quickly came to appreciate her intelligence, dedication and collegiality," said acting FCC chairman Michael Copps. "If confirmed, she will bring a wealth of experience and credibility with her. She is an excellent choice for the job."

Representatives of the telecom and cable industries also praised Baker's nomination. "Meredith Attwell Baker has the experience and qualifications to be a very effective commissioner," said Susanne Guyer, Verizon's senior vice-president for regulatory affairs.

As acting NTIA head through much of 2008, Baker oversaw the digital television (DTV) converter box coupon subsidy program, which enabled TV watchers to get free vouchers towards purchase of a set-top box for processing DTV signals.

The converter box program was heavily criticized for difficulties in replacing coupons, many of which expired before converter boxes became available on store shelves. The coupons had a 90-day shelf life, and could not be renewed once they were obtained.

Both the NTIA and FCC under former chairman Kevin Martin came under fire from Congress for the problems with the DTV transition. Baker was criticized for not allowing the coupons to be renewed, saying it would be too costly and cause delays in the transition.

Martin resigned immediately after Obama was elected to office. Former commissioner Jonathan Adelstein, who also criticized the Bush administration's handling of the DTV transition, has moved to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to oversee the broadband stimulus program's disbursement of funds.

Since the DTV transition was completed on June 12, the government and media have declared it a success, but ConsumerAffairs.com continues to receive complaints from viewers who have lost channels, can't get proper reception, or are having trouble with the equipment.

"[E]ven though I have done everything the government has told me to do I cannot get a constant signal from DTV TV and have lost one of my PBS stations in my bedroom where I used to value my FREE TV during illness," said Maureen of Staten Island, New York.

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