Few have racked up as many frequent testifier miles as Consumers Union’s Gene Kimmelman, where he tried to stem the deregulatory tide regarding the communications industry, among other things. Now he’ll be crafting competition policy for the Department of Justice.
Kimmelman’s official title is Chief Counsel for Competition Policy and Intergovernmental Relations.
Here’s the DOJ boilerplate detailing what Kimmelman is expected to bring to the job. “Kimmelman has extensive knowledge of deregulation, market structure and consumer protection issues. He is a recognized expert in a wide variety of areas, including telecommunications, Internet/media policy, product liability and antitrust law. He has represented consumers during the break up of AT&T, consideration of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, major media and telecommunications mergers, and at numerous congressional hearings.”
He’s had stops at the antitrust subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee, at Public Citizen’s Congress Watch, and the Consumers Federation of America, from 1984-1993. He’s been with Consumers Union since 1995.
RBR/TVBR observation: Whenever there was a hearing on broadcast issues on Capitol Hill or at the FCC, if CFA’s Mark Cooper wasn’t on the panel, Kimmelman probably was. A strong consumer advocate and foe of media consolidation, his presence at DOJ, along with other of similar thought, is a strong indication that big mergers are going to get a very close look during the next four years.
