Former FCC Chair sets Comcast probe into motion on his way out
by Donald Melanson 
posted Jan 21st 2009 at 12:49PM
Comcast and now-former FCC Chairman Kevin Martin haven't exactly been the best of buddies during Martin's tenure at the regulatory agency, and it looks like things weren't about to change as he made his way out the door. As The Wall Street Journal reports, Martin announced yet another investigation into Comcast in his final hours on the job, with this one focused on allegations that Comcast is deliberately downgrading its rivals' phone services -- an allegation that may sound strikingly familiar to those that follow such things. For its part, Comcast simply says that it has "fully complied" with the FCC's so-called congestion-management practices, and that it is "reviewing the FCC staff's letter." In related news, Martin has also proposed $500,000 in fines against several cable companies, including Comcast, saying that they have failed to provide enough information about whether they have improperly shifted channels from analog to digital tiers. Of course, all of this is still up in the air at the moment, and could possibly be rolled back if and when President Obama's expected choice to head the agency, Julius Genachowski, takes the reins.
Filed under: Industry, Regulatory
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