FCC Chairman to Resign

Now that the AOL-Time Warner merger is complete, William Kennard, Federal Communications Commission chairman, has announced his resignation. Kennard says he will leave his post on Jan. 19 to become a senior fellow at the Aspen Institute.

Commissioner Michael Powell, is the leading contender to replace Kennard as the next FCC chairman.

Although Kennard, could have stayed on as one of the five commissioners until June, he says he felt his work at the agency was done.

A former general counsel for the FCC, Kennard took over as chairman in 1997, just after Congress passed a landmark law that largely deregulated the communications industries. Much of his tenure was spent implementing pieces of the 1996 Telecommunications Act and fighting court challenges to the new regulations.

Kennard also spearheaded initiatives to expand basic telephone service on American Indian reservations and include descriptions of TV programming for those who have visual disabilities.

The agency, under Kennard's leadership, has also faced criticism from leaders on Capitol Hill, who felt the commission sought too many conditions when approving mergers.