Julius Genachowski (born August 19, 1962) is an American lawyer and businessman. He became the
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdiction ...
Chairman on June 29, 2009. On March 22, 2013, he announced he would be leaving the FCC in the coming weeks. On January 6, 2014, it was announced that Genachowski had joined
The Carlyle Group
The Carlyle Group is a multinational private equity, alternative asset management and financial services corporation based in the United States with $376 billion of assets under management. It specializes in private equity, real assets, and pri ...
.
Early life and education
Genachowski was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, and grew up in
Great Neck, New York
Great Neck is a region on Long Island, New York, that covers a peninsula on the North Shore (Long Island), North Shore and includes nine villages, among them Great Neck (village), New York, Great Neck, Great Neck Estates, New York, Great Neck Es ...
, the son of Adele and Azriel Genachowski. He attended
yeshiva
A yeshiva (; he, ישיבה, , sitting; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish philosophy are s ...
and studied in
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
. He entered
Columbia College of Columbia University
Columbia College is the oldest undergraduate college of Columbia University, situated on the university's main campus in Morningside Heights in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded by the Church of England in 1754 as King' ...
as a
pre-med
Pre-medical (often referred to as pre-med) is an educational track that undergraduate students in the United States pursue prior to becoming medical students. It involves activities that prepare a student for medical school, such as pre-med course ...
student, but earned a
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
in
History
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...
(1985)
magna cum laude
Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some So ...
. He was an Editor of the ''
Columbia Daily Spectator
The ''Columbia Daily Spectator'' (known colloquially as the ''Spec'') is the student newspaper of Columbia University. Founded in 1877, it is the oldest continuously operating college news daily in the nation after ''The Harvard Crimson'', and has ...
''. After working in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, for former
New York Congressman Chuck Schumer
Charles Ellis Schumer ( ; born November 23, 1950) is an American politician serving as Senate Majority Leader since January 20, 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, Schumer is in his fourth Senate term, having held his seat since 1999, and ...
, he entered
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States.
Each class ...
and earned a
Juris Doctor
The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law
and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...
(1991), also magna cum laude. He was a Notes Editor at the ''
Harvard Law Review
The ''Harvard Law Review'' is a law review published by an independent student group at Harvard Law School. According to the ''Journal Citation Reports'', the ''Harvard Law Review''s 2015 impact factor of 4.979 placed the journal first out of 143 ...
'' when his classmate
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
was its president. Genachowski clerked for The Honorable
Abner J. Mikva
Abner Joseph Mikva (January 21, 1926 – July 4, 2016) was an American politician, federal judge, lawyer and law professor. He was a member of the Democratic Party. Mikva served in the United States House of Representatives representing Illinois ...
on the
U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and then for Justices
William J. Brennan
William Joseph "Bill" Brennan Jr. (April 25, 1906 – July 24, 1997) was an American lawyer and jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1956 to 1990. He was the seventh-longest serving justice ...
and
David Souter
David Hackett Souter ( ; born September 17, 1939) is an American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1990 until his retirement in 2009. Appointed by President George H. W. Bush to fill the seat t ...
at the
U.S. Supreme Court.
Government and business experience
Genachowski was on the staffs of the
Select Committee Select committee may refer to:
*Select committee (parliamentary system), a committee made up of a small number of parliamentary members appointed to deal with particular areas or issues
*Select or special committee (United States Congress)
*Select ...
investigating the
Iran-Contra Affair and then U.S. Representative Chuck Schumer. In 1994 FCC Chairman
Reed Hundt
Reed Eric Hundt (born March 3, 1948) is an American attorney who served as chairman of the United States Federal Communications Commission from November 29, 1993 to November 3, 1997. Appointed by President Bill Clinton, he served for most of C ...
hired him as a senior legal advisor; he was chief counsel 1996-1997.
He was Chief of Business Operations and a member of
Barry Diller
Barry Charles Diller (born February 2, 1942) is an American businessman. He is Chairman and Senior Executive of IAC and Expedia Group and founded the Fox Broadcasting Company and USA Broadcasting. Diller was inducted into the Television Hall of ...
's Office of the Chairperson at
IAC/InterActiveCorp
IAC Inc. is an American holding company that owns brands across 100 countries, mostly in media and Internet. The company is incorporated under Delaware General Corporation Law and headquartered in New York City. Joey Levin, who previously led th ...
and executive responsible for the creation of
Fox Broadcasting Company
The Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly known simply as Fox and stylized in all caps as FOX, is an American commercial broadcast television network owned by Fox Corporation and headquartered in New York City, with master control operations an ...
and
USA Broadcasting
USA Broadcasting was an United States of America, American television broadcasting company owned by the veteran entertainment industry executive Barry Diller. This company was the over-the-air broadcasting arm of USA Networks. Before founding US ...
. He earned at least $2.5 million when
Vivendi
Vivendi SE is a French mass media holding company headquartered in Paris. Widely known as the owner of Gameloft, Groupe Canal+, Havas, Editis, Prisma Media, Vivendi Village and Dailymotion, the company has activities in television, film, video ...
acquired
Universal
Universal is the adjective for universe.
Universal may also refer to:
Companies
* NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company
** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal
** Universal TV, a t ...
assets in 2003. He had previously served on the
Boards of Directors
A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit organiz ...
of
Expedia
Expedia Inc. is an online travel agency owned by Expedia Group, an American online travel shopping company based in Seattle. The website and mobile app can be used to book airline tickets, hotel reservations, car rentals, cruise ships, and vacat ...
,
Hotels.com
Hotels.com is a website for booking hotel rooms online and by telephone. The company has 85 websites in 34 languages, and lists over 325,000 hotels in approximately 19,000 locations. Its inventory includes hotels and B&Bs, and some condos and oth ...
, and
Ticketmaster
Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc. is an American ticket sales and distribution company based in Beverly Hills, California with operations in many countries around the world. In 2010, it merged with Live Nation under the name Live Nation Entert ...
.
Genachowski was a co-founder of LaunchBox Digital and Rock Creek Ventures;
a Special Advisor at
General Atlantic
General Atlantic (also known as "GA") is an American growth equity firm providing capital and strategic support for global growth companies, headquartered in New York, United States. The firm was founded in 1980 as the captive investment team for ...
; and a member of the Boards of Directors at
The Motley Fool
The Motley Fool is a private financial and investing advice company based in Alexandria, Virginia. It was founded in July 1993 by co-chairmen and brothers David Gardner and Tom Gardner, and Erik Rydholm, who has since left the company. The compa ...
,
Web.com
Web.com Group Inc. was an American company headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida that provides domain name registration and web development services. Established in 1999 by Darin Brannan, the company was known as Website Pros Inc. until early ...
,
Mark Ecko Enterprises, and
Beliefnet
Beliefnet is a lifestyle website featuring editorial content related to the topics of inspiration, spirituality, health, wellness, love and family, news, and entertainment.
History
Launched in 1999 by Steven Waldman and Robert Nylen, Beliefnet ...
.
In April 2006, he was appointed to the Board of
JackBe
JackBe Corporation was a privately held vendor of enterprise Mashup (web application hybrid), mashup software for real-time intelligence applications. In August 2013 JackBe was acquired by Software AG
JackBe's flagship product is an enterprise ma ...
.
He served on the board of
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media (CSM) is an organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children. , a leading organization seeking to improve the media lives of children and families and the
Advisory Board
An advisory board is a body that provides non-binding strategic advice to the management of a corporation, organization, or foundation. The informal nature of an advisory board gives greater flexibility in structure and management compared to th ...
of Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2). He also helped found the New Resource Bank, the country's first
commercial
Commercial may refer to:
* a dose of advertising conveyed through media (such as - for example - radio or television)
** Radio advertisement
** Television advertisement
* (adjective for:) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and s ...
green bank
A green bank (sometimes referred to as green investment bank, clean energy finance authority, or clean energy finance corporation) is a financial institution, typically public or quasi-public, that uses innovative financing techniques and market ...
.
On January 6, 2014, it was announced that Genachowski returned to the corporate world to take a post at
The Carlyle Group
The Carlyle Group is a multinational private equity, alternative asset management and financial services corporation based in the United States with $376 billion of assets under management. It specializes in private equity, real assets, and pri ...
. There he will reportedly concentrate on global technology, media, and telecommunications investments.
Obama campaign and transition
For
Senator Barack Obama's 2008 Presidential Campaign, Genachowski was Chairperson of the Technology, Media and Telecommunications
Policy
Policy is a deliberate system of guidelines to guide decisions and achieve rational outcomes. A policy is a statement of intent and is implemented as a procedure or protocol. Policies are generally adopted by a governance body within an organ ...
Working Group
A working group, or working party, is a group of experts working together to achieve specified goals. The groups are domain-specific and focus on discussion or activity around a specific subject area. The term can sometimes refer to an interdis ...
, which created the Obama Technology and Innovation Plan.
He also advised and guided the Campaign's innovative use of technology and the
Internet
The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...
for
grassroots
A grassroots movement is one that uses the people in a given district, region or community as the basis for a political or economic movement. Grassroots movements and organizations use collective action from the local level to effect change at t ...
engagement and participation.
After the
November election, he co-led the Technology, Innovation, and Government Reform Group for
President-Elect
An ''officer-elect'' is a person who has been elected to a position but has not yet been installed. Notably, a president who has been elected but not yet installed would be referred to as a ''president-elect'' (e.g. president-elect of the Unit ...
Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
's
Transition Team.
On January 12, 2009, several news outlets reported that Genachowski would be President-Elect Obama's choice to head the
FCC
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdiction ...
. This was confirmed by a press release on March 3, 2009.
Tenure as FCC Chairman
On June 25, 2009, the
U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed Julius Genachowski as FCC Chairman.
''
Wired
''Wired'' (stylized as ''WIRED'') is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered in San Fra ...
'' named "A New FCC" one of the "Top 7 Disruptions of the Year" after Genachowski announced plans to create the country's first national broadband plan, reallocate spectrum from over-the-air TV broadcasters to meet demand for wireless usage, and pursue rules to preserve
Internet freedom Internet freedom is an umbrella term that encompasses digital rights, freedom of information, the right to Internet access, freedom from Internet censorship, and net neutrality.
Some believe that Internet freedom is not a human right. They think t ...
and openness.
According to an opinion piece by Genachowski, wireless providers increased wireless infrastructure investment more than 60% between 2009 and 2013 and the United States led the world in the deployment and adoption of 4G/LTE mobile broadband.
A study by the ITIF made similar assertions.
However, numerous press outlets subsequently questioned the findings. Businessweek called the U.S. a "wireless backwater" prior to 2008, while Genachowski praised the mobile industry for "America's leadership in mobile" in 2009.
In terms of wired broadband, the Genachowski FCC reported that networks capable of 100 megabits per second passed less than 20% of U.S. homes in 2009 and over 80% in 2012, putting the U.S. near the top of the world in deployment of broadband infrastructure.
This followed announcements of upgrade plans by cable operators in 2008. According to an opinion piece by Genachowski, American firms installed more fiber optic cable for high-speed broadband in 2011 and 2012 than those of any nation other than China, and more than all European nations combined.
Genachowski announced his resignation on March 22, 2013. He will join the
Aspen Institute
The Aspen Institute is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1949 as the Aspen Institute for Humanistic Studies. The institute's stated aim is the realization of "a free, just, and equitable society" through seminars, policy programs ...
as a
senior fellow
A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context.
In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements.
Within the context of higher education ...
. In addition, he announced in January 2014 that, upon leaving the FCC, he would begin work for the Carlyle Group.
National Broadband Plan
On March 16, 2010, Genachowski released a
National Broadband Plan, titled "Connecting America: The National Broadband Plan".
The plan lays out a vision for a U.S. strategic advantage in broadband. It includes more than 200 recommendations, including proposals to reallocate airwaves for mobile broadband and to modernize the FCC's $9 billion per year Universal Service Fund from a program that supports phone service to a program that efficiently supports broadband.
Proponents had argued that lack of a national plan put the United States at a competitive disadvantage compared to nations with developed broadband plans.
The plan was released to generally positive reviews from public interest and business leaders.
Some public interest advocates expressed concern that the plan did not propose to foster more competition in a broadband market. For example, the broadband plan found there to be "reasons to be concerned about wireline broadband competition in the United States."
President Obama commended the plan, and the Obama administration endorsed the spectrum goal in a speech by
National Economic Council Director
Lawrence Summers
Lawrence Henry Summers (born November 30, 1954) is an American economist who served as the 71st United States secretary of the treasury from 1999 to 2001 and as director of the National Economic Council from 2009 to 2010. He also served as pre ...
.
At the end of Genachowski's tenure, 87 percent of the action agenda had been acted upon. Additional agenda items were never provided.
Connect America Fund
Under Genachowski, the FCC overhauled the $9 billion per year
Universal Service Fund
The Universal Service Fund (USF) is a system of telecommunications subsidies and fees managed by the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) intended to promote universal access to telecommunications services in the United States. Th ...
(USF) into a program that supports universal broadband service rather than phone service. The new Connect America Fund was approved unanimously by the FCC in October 2011 and launched in April 2012, and maintains the same annual budget as USF.
The FCC projects the Connect America Fund will help connect over 19 million Americans to broadband, mostly in rural areas. In July 2012, the FCC announced the first phase of the program which, over three years, pairs $115 million in public funds with private investment to bring high-speed Internet to 400,000 residents and businesses that lack access.
As part of the reforms, the FCC identified mobile broadband as a Universal Service goal for the first time. The Connect America Fund includes a Mobility Fund specifically to bring 3G and 4G wireless broadband to unserved areas.
Spectrum crunch
Genachowski has warned of a "spectrum crunch" of public airwaves, in which demand for mobile broadband service outstrips the availability of spectrum.
Numerous experts have disputed claims that a "spectrum crunch" exists.
Genachowski and his team have pushed for incentive auctions of broadcast television spectrum—a proposal in the National Broadband Plan to allow spectrum license-holders to supply spectrum for
auction
An auction is usually a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bids, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder or buying the item from the lowest bidder. Some exceptions to this definition ex ...
and receive a share of the proceeds.
The plan received criticism from some television broadcasters, who said it favored mobile broadband deployment goals over their industry.
The auctions gained bipartisan support from U.S. lawmakers and praise from wireless and tech companies as a way to promote investment in wireless networks and drive further innovation.
Incentive auctions were passed by U.S. Congress and adopted into law as part of the deal to extend the
payroll tax cut.
Genachowski announced the process would be advised by a team of auction economics experts, led by economist
Paul Milgrom
Paul Robert Milgrom (born April 20, 1948) is an American economist. He is the Shirley and Leonard Ely Professor of Humanities and Sciences at the Stanford University School of Humanities and Sciences, a position he has held since 1987. He is a ...
.
Genachowski has pushed for spectrum sharing between current government and commercial wireless users in order to improve network capacity.
He has also advocated for the preservation and use of unlicensed spectrum bands as platforms for innovation, citing the success of
Wi‑Fi, which uses unlicensed spectrum. The FCC has set aside spectrum for unlicensed use.
In February 2013, the FCC voted unanimously on a Genachowski proposal to free up wireless spectrum that will increase Wi-Fi speeds and ease network congestion in homes and at major hubs, like conferences, airports, hotels etc. It is the largest block of unlicensed spectrum made available for Wi-Fi in over a decade, and adds an additional 195 MHz of spectrum in the 5 GHz band. NPR's Marketplace called the vote a "rare moment of unanimity in Washington."
Mergers and acquisitions
Under Genachowski, the FCC approved the
Comcast NBC merger
The acquisition of NBCUniversal by Comcast was announced on December 3, 2009, and was completed on March 19, 2013. The acquisition of NBCUniversal by Comcast included the Universal Pictures film and television studio, the National Broadcasting Co ...
in January 2011. The FCC and Department of Justice applied a number of public interest conditions to promote online competition in the video marketplace.
Unfortunately, according to the FCC, the price of multichannel video has continued to rise. In June 2012, Comcast agreed to pay an $800,000 settlement for allegedly violating their agreement with the FCC to market an affordable, standalone broadband deal that was not tied to cable television plans.
In November 2011, following an August 2011 announcement by the Department of Justice that the merger would be opposed, the FCC moved to block AT&T's proposed $39 billion bid for rival T-Mobile. The merger would have combined the second and fourth-largest cellphone carriers in the country, resulting in the largest concentration in U.S. wireless market in history.
7AT&T withdrew their application days later.
AT&T competitors have sought to improve their market position with a proposed merger between T-Mobile/MetroPCS and a major investment in Sprint Nextel by Japan's Softbank.
Consumer empowerment and protection
Connect2Compete
Genachowski announced the launch of
Connect2Compete in 2011, an initiative to help close the
digital divide
The digital divide is the unequal access to digital technology, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, and the internet. The digital divide creates a division and inequality around access to information and resources. In the Information Age in ...
by expanding broadband and computer access to low-income households. Connect2Compete offers under $10 per month broadband access and under $150 laptops to households with a child enrolled in the
national school lunch program.
It is a partnership with
Internet service provider
An Internet service provider (ISP) is an organization that provides services for accessing, using, or participating in the Internet. ISPs can be organized in various forms, such as commercial, community-owned, non-profit, or otherwise private ...
s, technology companies, and nonprofits, run outside government and funded by in-kind commitments.
In May 2012, Connect2Compete launched a pilot program to expand access in
San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...
. It reports billions of dollars in commitments and plans to launch in all 50 states.
Gigabit City Challenge
In January 2013, Genachowski launched a "Gigabit City Challenge" to engage with broadband providers and state and local leaders to ensure ultrafast gigabit Internet is available in at least one community in all fifty states by 2015. As part of the initiative, Genachowski announced plans to hold workshops and create best practices resources to help reach the goal.
Combating bill shock
In 2011 the FCC and wireless carriers reached an agreement to combat
bill shock
In telecommunications, bill shock is the negative reaction a subscriber can experience if their phone bill has unexpected charges. Bill shock can happen when, for example, a user grossly overuses data applications without an appropriate data plan ...
when consumers receive unexpected overage charges. Smartphone and tablet wireless data users now receive alerts when they near an overage charge.
Leading Education by Advancing Digital (LEAD)
Genachowski launched an effort with
U.S. Secretary of Education
The United States secretary of education is the head of the United States Department of Education, U.S. Department of Education. The secretary serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States, and the federal government, on ...
Arne Duncan
Arne Starkey Duncan (born November 6, 1964) is an American educator who served as United States Secretary of Education from 2009 to 2015 and as Chief Executive Officer of Chicago Public Schools from 2001 to 2008. A lifelong resident of Chicago, Du ...
to encourage the spread of digital textbooks and create a blueprint on how to harness technology for education reform. In 2012 the FCC and Department of Education joined with technology and education leaders to form the Leading Education by Advancing Digital (LEAD) Commission to analyze trends and present policy and funding recommendations. LEAD is co-chaired by
Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
President
Lee Bollinger
Lee Carroll Bollinger (born April 30, 1946) is an American lawyer and educator who is serving as the 19th and current president of Columbia University, where he is also the Seth Low Professor of the University and a faculty member of Columbia Law ...
, TPG Capital co‑founder
James Coulter, former Secretary of Education
Margaret Spellings
Margaret M. LaMontagne Spellings (née Dudar; born November 30, 1957) is an American government and non-profit executive who has been serving as President and
CEO of Texas 2036 since 2019. She previously served as the eighth United States secreta ...
and
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media (CSM) is an organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children. founder and CEO
Jim Steyer
James Pearson Steyer (born 1956) is an American children's advocate, civil rights attorney, professor and author. He founded Common Sense Media, an organization that "provides education and advocacy to families to promote safe technology and media ...
.
Data roaming
Genachowski led a successful effort to pass data roaming rules so consumers have access to wireless Internet even in areas their provider does not cover. The rules passed on a 3‑2 vote in April 2011. The rules require Verizon and AT&T to enter into roaming agreements with smaller carriers in order to preserve industry competition.
Health Care
Genachowski launched a Healthcare Connect Fund in 2012 to expand access to broadband for health care. The fund is capped at $400 million and will help bring modern, cost-saving telehealth technology to rural hospitals and clinics.
Genachowski also led an effort to provide spectrum for wireless medical technology—called Medical Area Body Networks (mBANs)—that monitor patients' vital signs to improve outcomes and lower costs.
Public files of TV stations
The FCC also passed a rule to require local television stations to put their public files online. The rule modernized the existing agency rule that requires public files available at television stations in physical filing cabinets. The rule was proposed in an FCC report "The Information Needs of Communities", commissioned by Genachowski and authored by
Steve Waldman in 2011. Since 1938, broadcasters have been required to make a file available to the public containing information on station advertising and other topics. The new rule was passed in April 2012, and initially ABC, NBC, Fox, and CBS stations in the top 50 markets will have to put their file online—in 2014, all TV stations will be required to comply.
Broadcasters resisted the requirement and claimed that administrative costs would be high.
Public interest groups and editorial boards such as ''
Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News (originally Bloomberg Business News) is an international news agency headquartered in New York City and a division of Bloomberg L.P. Content produced by Bloomberg News is disseminated through Bloomberg Terminals, Bloomberg Televi ...
'' endorsed the rule.
Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA)
In January 2012, the FCC released a report and order on implementation of the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA), which updates federal law to increase the access of persons with
disabilities
Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, se ...
to modern communications. Among the reforms was a rule moving Internet video previously shown on television to
closed captioning
Closed captioning (CC) and subtitling are both processes of displaying text on a television, video screen, or other visual display to provide additional or interpretive information. Both are typically used as a transcription of the audio por ...
.
Net neutrality
While chief technology advisor to President-Elect Obama, Genachowski was a strong advocate of a
net neutrality
Network neutrality, often referred to as net neutrality, is the principle that Internet service providers (ISPs) must treat all Internet communications equally, offering users and online content providers consistent rates irrespective of co ...
principle.
Net neutrality principles were first articulated at the FCC by Republican Chairmen Michael Powell and Kevin Martin, and were endorsed in a unanimous FCC policy statement in 2005.
Support for codifying net neutrality came from public interest groups, venture capitalists, wireless carriers such as Sprint and Clearwire, and a coalition including Google, Amazon, Twitter and others.
Support for the net neutrality principle was also a campaign promise of Barack Obama.
Opposition largely came from dominant Internet service providers.
In May 2010, the FCC proposed an
Open Internet Order with net neutrality rules that required wireline Internet service providers to not block websites or impose certain limits on users; wireless providers were given greater freedom to interfere with consumer's Internet access.
In December 2010, the FCC passed a final version on a 3-2 vote.
President Obama issued a statement of support, and later threatened to veto any House legislation to repeal the rules.
Support also came from a number of business and technology leaders and public interest groups.
AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson backed the rules as a way to eliminate regulatory uncertainty.
The rules received criticism from Verizon, which argued they exceed the FCC's authority, and from some public interest groups such as Free Press, which argued the rules were too narrow and should be expanded. Verizon Wireless and Free Press sued the FCC, although Free Press dropped its lawsuit.
In 2012, Genachowski appointed Harvard law professor
Jonathan Zittrain
Jonathan L. Zittrain (born December 24, 1969) is an American professor of Internet law and the George Bemis Professor of International Law at Harvard Law School. He is also a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School, a professor of computer scie ...
to chair an FCC Open Internet Advisory Committee created to evaluate the effectiveness of the neutrality rules. The group is made up of representatives from Mozilla, Netflix, the Center for Democracy and Technology, AT&T, Internet Society, Comcast, Disney, and others.
As of April 2013, no evaluation has been provided to the public.
In July 2012, during the FCC review of Verizon Wireless' purchase of spectrum held by cable operators, the FCC settled an investigation into Verizon Wireless over violation of open Internet rules on its 700 MHz spectrum. The FCC found the Verizon had asked Google to remove applications from the Android marketplace that allow "tethering" to turn smartphones into Wi-Fi hotspots. Verizon had typically charged a "tethering fee" of $20 for their service. As part of the settlement, Verizon agreed to pay $1.25 million to the U.S. Treasury.
International
Genachowski has promoted an international
Multistakeholder Model
Multistakeholder governance is a practice of governance that employs bringing multiple stakeholders together to participate in dialogue, decision making, and implementation of responses to jointly perceived problems. The stakeholder theory, princi ...
of Internet governance to protect Internet freedom and warned against proposed new regulations by the International Telecommunication Union, an arm of the UN, that could result in a more government-oriented, top-down model of internet governance.
In November 2012, Genachowski and Hector Olavarria Tapia, Mexico's Secretariat of Communications and Transport, signed an initiative to combat theft of mobile devices and their sale across the border. Under the program, wireless carriers will build and maintain an international database to prevent stolen devices from being reactivated in Mexico or the United States. Earlier in the year, major U.S. carriers signed an agreement with the FCC to begin disabling stolen devices within the United States.
Public Safety Initiatives
Genachowski and New York City Mayor
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg (born February 14, 1942) is an American businessman, politician, philanthropist, and author. He is the majority owner, co-founder and CEO of Bloomberg L.P. He was Mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013, and was a ca ...
unveiled the nation's first comprehensive emergency notification system for cellphones at Ground Zero in May 2011. The Personal Localized Alerting Network (PLAN) is a free service to send emergency text alerts to citizens in an area with "imminent threats to safety." It is a partnership between the FCC, FEMA, New York City, and wireless carriers.
Genachowski has also announced a plan to create a "Next Generation 911" emergency response system that will enable text, video, and photo messages and automatic location information to be sent to 911.
In response to a nationwide rise in smartphone theft and related assaults, Genachowski, major city police chiefs, and wireless providers launched a national database to track stolen smartphones. The initiative will allow users to disable use of their device once reported stolen, lowering the black market value. From mid-2011 to mid-2012, roughly one in three robberies nationwide involved theft of a cellphone, according to the FCC. The four largest wireless carriers are expected to put databases in place by 2013, and complete a merged database in 2014.
Genachowski has campaigned against "distracted driving", or the use of mobile devices or texting applications while driving. In 2009, Genachowski and Transportation Secretary
Ray LaHood
Raymond H. LaHood (born December 6, 1945) is an American politician who served as the 16th United States Secretary of Transportation from 2009 to 2013 under President Barack Obama. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served in the I ...
launched a campaign to reform laws and change social norms. He has advocated in the media and testified before the Senate, and spurred awareness campaigns such as AT&T's "It Can't Wait" initiative. Over 100,000 car crashes each year involve texting, according to the
National Safety Council
The National Safety Council (NSC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, public service organization promoting health and safety in the United States. Headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, NSC is a member organization, founded in 1913 and granted a congressi ...
.
Personal life
His parents are
Eastern European Jews
The expression 'Eastern European Jewry' has two meanings. Its first meaning refers to the current political spheres of the Eastern European countries and its second meaning refers to the Jewish communities in Russia and Poland. The phrase 'Easte ...
who survived the
Holocaust
The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; a ...
.
His cousin,
Menachem Genack
Menachem Genack (born 1949) is an Orthodox rabbi and the CEO of the Orthodox Union Kosher Division, a supervisory organization okosher food As such he oversees the kosher certification of over 1.3 million products and over 14,000 facilities i ...
, is an
Orthodox
Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to:
Religion
* Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pa ...
rabbi
A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...
and the
CEO
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...
of the
Orthodox Union
The Orthodox Union (abbreviated OU) is one of the largest Orthodox Jewish organizations in the United States. Founded in 1898, the OU supports a network of synagogues, youth programs, Jewish and Religious Zionist advocacy programs, programs for ...
Kosher
(also or , ) is a set of dietary laws dealing with the foods that Jewish people are permitted to eat and how those foods must be prepared according to Jewish law. Food that may be consumed is deemed kosher ( in English, yi, כּשר), fro ...
Division. He was previously married to
Rachel Goslins
Rachel Eva Goslins (born July 23, 1969) is an American arts administrator and documentary film director and producer. In August 2016, she was appointed director of the Smithsonian's Arts and Industries Building. She was previously head of the Pre ...
and to journalist
Martha Raddatz
Martha Raddatz (; born February 14, 1953) is an American reporter with ABC News. She is the network's Chief Global Affairs Correspondent reporting for ABC's ''World News Tonight with David Muir'', ''Nightline (US news program), Nightline'', and ot ...
.
Genachowski was named by President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
to lead the United States delegation for the commemoration of the 65th anniversary of the liberation of
Auschwitz
Auschwitz concentration camp ( (); also or ) was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It con ...
.
See also
*
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Genachowski, Julius
1962 births
21st-century American businesspeople
American people of Polish-Jewish descent
Chairmen of the Federal Communications Commission
Columbia College (New York) alumni
Harvard Law School alumni
Law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States
Living people
Obama administration personnel
People from Great Neck, New York