Speculation as to whom President-elect Barack Obama will name as the next chairman of the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) covers several likely candidates with two African-American women amongst the front runners.
In a marked departure from what pertained under the presidencies of George W Bush, where traditional carriers such as AT&T received considerable support, the Obama administration is expected to move to embrace emerging providers of comms products and services such as Google and put them more centre-stage.
Henry Rivera, a partner at Washington law practice of Wiley Rein and the man who is heading the selection team buiding the new FCC has reportedly drawn up a short list of candidates
that includes two African American women. One is Julia Johnson, a Florida-based consultant who chairs the Video Access Alliance and the other is Mignon Clyburn, who has been a commissioner for the Public Service Commission of South Carolina since 1998.
Obama’s team is said to have received recommendations from former FCC chairmen Bill Kennard and Reed Hundt, both of whom advised the president-elect's campaign on telecoms-related issues.
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