It’s official. Telecommunications industry executive Julius Genachowski (News - Alert) was sworn in today as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.

 

In his new role, Genachowski will lead an agency that punishes broadcast indecency, investigates media mergers, and regulates rates for some telephone services, Bloomberg (News - Alert) reported. In addition, he will also help decide whether regulation is needed to ensure Internet providers don’t interfere with users’ navigation to Web sites and other services, the report said.

 

Genachowski , once a high-level staff member at the Federal Communications Commission under President Clinton, will complete the four years remaining in the term of outgoing FCC (News - Alert) Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein. President Obama nominated Adelstein to be the administrator for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service. The nomination hearing before the Senate's Agriculture Committee is planned for July 7.

 

With the appointment, Genachowski, see image below, will lead a federal agency that has become more critical to the nation’s economy and quality of life as Internet communications, VoIP and other technologies have become more advanced, cheaper and more widespread, TMCnet reported.

 

 

Genachowski’s appointment comes after months of rumors he would take the seat. The Washington, D.C. area venture capitalist had long been on the FCC head short list. He previously was a law clerk with Supreme Court justices David Souter and William Brennan in the early 1990s. Around 1994, Genachowski became was chief counsel to former FCC Chairman Reed Hundt.

 

Republican Commissioner Robert McDowell (News - Alert), was also confirmed for a five-year term.

 

The FCC, which oversees a number of happenings in the telecommunications space, recently oversaw the conversion from analog broadcast services to digital television. The mandated change, which originally was slated for Feb. 17, was delayed until June 12. It reported impacted about 20 million consumers who didn’t use the technology.

 

The commission made its final push in May to persuade people to buy a converter box, replace their TV with a digital TV, or subscribe to satellite or digital cable service to keep their TV signals working after the switch. The FCC approved $10 million in funding to keep call centers operating to handle the anticipated onslaught of consumer inquiries regarding the switch.