Looking to reach out to the high-tech community and bypass the scores of Washington lobbyists, FCC Chairman Michael Powell has become a blogger.
Powell said he started his blog to encourage the high-tech industry to get involved because its past practice of flying under the radar to avoid regulations no longer works.
He asked fellow bloggers to send in their thoughts on the transition to digital television and possibly using the space between television station frequencies for new wireless services. But, in typical blogger fashion, replies covered subjects well beyond his inquiry, including the FCC’s recent crackdown on indecent antics on radio and television.
Others did stick to the topic, questioning Powell about getting telephone companies to turn on unused fiber optic cable in order to cut prices for high-speed Internet. Some chastised the FCC chairman for reaching out only to Silicon Valley.
Read Powell’s blog online.