Broadcasting & Cable, November 8, 2006
By John Eggerton

Soon to be House Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell (D-Mich.) says he wants the FCC to hold off on okaying the AT&T/BellSouth merger, something the FCC has been doing a pretty good job of itself.

He also says the committee will have to take a hard look at any FCC loosening of media ownership rules, and will take a new crack at a telecom reform bill, with an eye on net neutrality and spectrum for first responders.

At a press conference Wednesday, Dingell said that he would prefer that the FCC hold off on approving the AT&T/BellSouth merger until the new Congress convenes in January and the new committee has oversight, saying the committee will have to take a hard look—the committee will be taking a lot of hard looks, apparently—to see if the FCC is "seeing to it that the public interest is being served.

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