Dive Brief:
- Early Tuesday evening, the Senate confirmed that former telecom lobbyist Tom Wheeler will be the next Federal Communications Commission chairman.
- Mike O'Rielly was confirmed as well to fill the vacant GOP commissioner slot for the FCC.
- Both men were voted in unanimously and should be sworn in later this week. This will bring the FCC back up to its full strength of five commissioners.
Dive Insight:
Like so many government entities, the FCC has a lot of catching up to do after the shutdown and struggling to name a new commissioner. Now that Wheeler is in the seat, the FCC will be able to move forward on issues like the gigantic auction of wireless spectrum voluntarily handed over from TV broadcasters. Communications technology is changing radically, and the former cable and wireless lobbyist will now oversee regulations on those platforms that are sure to impact marketers like its recently introduced mobile marketing regulations.
