FCC Chairman Genachowski today announced that Austin Schlick will become the next General Counsel of the FCC and that Steven VanRoekel will be its new Managing Director. Mr. Schlick has previously served at the FCC, at the Department of Justice (where he argued seven cases to the Supreme Court), as a legislative assistant to a Senator, in private practice, and he has clerked for the U.S. Supreme Court (Justice O’Connor). Mr. VanRoekel has spent 15 years at Microsoft, including serving as Speech and Strategy Assistant to Bill Gates.
In addition, the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee has scheduled a hearing for Wednesday, July 15 on the nominations of Mignon Clyburn (D) and Meredith Baker (R) for the remaining two FCC Commissioner slots. The hearing is expected to be non-controversial and, when completed, will put the FCC at full force for the first time this year.