There are still questions about the fitness of Tom Wheeler to take the chair at the Federal Communications Commission, but nevertheless his nomination has advanced out of the Senate Commerce Committee. Next stop: The full Senate. But when?
And the answer is: Nobody knows.
According to Variety, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) remains concerned that Wheeler might try to force disclosure of political advertising sponsors in an “end running” attempt to put the Disclose Act into effect without the Act ever making it into law. According to Cruz, Wheeler has been ducking that question thus far.
In reality, Wheeler’s advancement to the FCC may be tied to the passage of a Republican nominee through the Commerce Committee to fill the fifth and final seat on the Commission. And that process has not yet begun.
The panel also approved the bill from Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) that would commission a study of media violence from the National Academy of Sciences. The bill has the support of the NAB.
