Clinton Nominates 2 to Seats on FCC

President Clinton nominated Federal Communications Commission General Counsel Bill Kennard to a Democratic seat on the commission that will become open in June. Harold Furchtgott-Roth, the House Commerce Committee’s chief economist, was appointed to a Republican seat that has been vacant for more than a year. Of the FCC’s five seats, three are now designated to be held by Democrats. The nominees are subject to Senate confirmation. Kennard, who joined the FCC in 1993 as general counsel, would replace James Quello, who is retiring in June after 23 years. Furchtgott-Roth played an important role in crafting a sweeping telecommunications law enacted in 1996 that substantially deregulated the telephone, cable and media industries. He would fill the seat vacated by Andrew Barrett in March 1996.