Business Bytes
Renee Oricchio

Weasel Alert: FCC Commish Joins Comcast

 

Earlier this year, the FCC approved the merger of Comcast and NBC with a four to one vote among its panel of commissioners. One of the four commissioners that cast her vote for the merger back in January was Meredith Attwell Baker.

Ms. Baker announced this week that she will be resigning from her post at the FCC to take a job in the private sector. Hint: She's not taking a job as a Wal-Mart greeter.

Ms. Baker has been hired by Comcast to run the government affairs division of NBC Universal. Yup, you read that correctly. But let me put that out there one more time.

Ms. Baker has been hired by Comcast to run the government affairs division of NBC Universal.

Uh, by the way "goverment affairs" is another way of saying...

LOBBYIST.

Ms. Baker, a Republican, was a Bush appointee at the Commerce Department during his presidency. She is one of two Republicans that President Obama appointed to the FCC commission. Bipartisanship clearly has its pitfalls.

Shame on you, Ms. Baker! You were appointed to serve the public's interest. You are a poster child representing everything wrong with Washington. Once again, not only have the foxes been guarding the hen house; they're getting rich selling the chickens.

 

 

 

Renee Oricchio is a technology writer and former supervising news producer for CNN Financial News. She has been covering the computer industry since 1987. @oricchio