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Obama selects former Harvard classmate to head FCC

Mon Jan 12, 2009 10:20pm EST

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WASHINGTON, Jan 12 (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Barack Obama has selected Julius Genachowski, a technology executive and former classmate from Harvard Law School, to lead the Federal Communications Commission, a Democratic source said on Monday.

Genachowski served as chief counsel for former FCC Chairman Reed Hundt, the chairman under former President Bill Clinton, and held various positions at IAC/InterActiveCorp (IACI.O), as well as other technology posts.

Genachowski, who has been advising Obama, had been considered the front-runner for the job.

The FCC oversees U.S. telecommunications regulation and policy. Its reach includes regulation of telephone and cable companies; oversight of concentration of ownership of radio, television outlets, and auctioning public airwaves.

The FCC's biggest immediate challenge is ensuring a congressionally mandated conversion to digital television on Feb. 17 goes smoothly, a switch affecting some 20 million consumers who don't already use the technology.

Owners of older television sets receiving over-the-air signals must buy a converter box, replace their TV with a digital TV, or subscribe to satellite or digital cable service. (Reporting by Jeff Mason and Kim Dixon; editing by Chris Wilson)



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