| Robert Malcolm McDowell | |
|---|---|
Commissioner Robert M. McDowell |
|
| Born | June 13, 1963 |
| Residence | Vienna, Virginia |
| Nationality | United States |
| Education | A.B. 1985 cum laude J.D. 1990 |
| Alma mater | Deerfield Academy, 1981[1] Duke University[2] Marshall-Wythe School of Law of the College of William and Mary[2][3] |
| Occupation | lawyer |
| Employer | Federal Communications Commission |
| Home town | Vienna, Virginia |
| Title | Commissioner |
| Political party | Republican |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Spouse | Jenniifer, née Griffin |
| Children | Griffin Malcolm McDowell Mary Shea Virginia McDowell Cormac McDowell[4] |
| Parents | Martha Louise Shea McDowell Hobart K. "Bart" McDowell, Jr. |
| Notes | |
Robert Malcolm McDowell (born June 13, 1963) is a commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission.
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Robert M. McDowell was first appointed to a seat on the Federal Communications Commission by U.S. President George W. Bush and unanimously confirmed by the Senate in 2006. When he was reappointed to the Commission on June 2, 2009, Commissioner McDowell became the first Republican to be appointed to an independent agency by President Barack Obama. The U.S. Senate confirmed him unanimously on June 25, 2009.[6] Commissioner McDowell's second term ends June 2014.
As a Commissioner, McDowell has worked to help consumers in the communications marketplace enjoy the benefits of more choices, lower prices and useful innovations through increased competition.[7] He believes that the government should try to remove barriers to entry, allowing competition to flourish.[8] While he acknowledges that there are instances when the government should step in to address market failure, he emphasizes that any remedies applied should be narrowly-tailored and sunseted, to maximize freedom for all market players[9]
Commissioner McDowell has been an outspoken critic of net neutrality rules, casting a dissenting vote based on four primary concerns: 1) Nothing is broken in the Internet access market that needs fixing; 2) The FCC does not have the legal authority to issue net neutrality rules; 3) The rules are likely to cause irreparable harm; and 4) Existing law and Internet governance structures provide ample consumer protection in the event a systemic market failure occurs.[10]
Commissioner McDowell believes that the first priority in reforming universal service is “to restore fiscal responsibility to this program.” [11] He has long stated that USF reform should include the following five basic objectives: (1) contain the growth of the Fund; (2) broaden the base of contributors; (3) reduce the contribution burden; (4) ensure competitive neutrality; and (5) eliminate waste, fraud and other abuses of the system. [12]
Commissioner McDowell has been a long-standing critic of the Fairness Doctrine and has repeatedly called for the FCC to repeal the remnants of the Fairness Doctrine from its books. [13] On August 12, 2008, FCC Commissioner Robert M. McDowell stated that the reinstitution of the Fairness Doctrine could be intertwined with the debate over network neutrality.[14] He outlined the history of the Fairness Doctrine in a January 2009 speech at the Media Institute.
Commissioner McDowell has long supported unlicensed uses of vacant TV broadcast channels known as “white spaces.” Commissioner McDowell applauded the FCC’s November 2008 rules to open up white spaces for unlicensed use stating, “Robust unlicensed use of white spaces will give nimble entrepreneurs the freedom to disrupt the market in positive and constructive ways that will force incumbents to keep pace with this new revolution. As a result, the pressure created by dynamic competition will knock down barriers created by walled gardens and pry open closed networks. This liberation will come about not through increased regulation, but through increased competition.”[15]
Commissioner McDowell dissented in part to the Commission’s July 2007 rules governing the 700 MHz spectrum auction, arguing that the overly proscriptive rules, such as the open access requirement, would discourage some bidders and ultimately decrease the proceeds from the auction.[16]
Commissioner McDowell has long advocated major reforms to the FCC’s structure and operations. In 2009, he sent letters to Acting Chairman Copps and Chairman Genachowski outlining some of his ideas.[17][18] McDowell called for an audit of the FCC’s operations, finances and ethical practices and also wanted the agency to consider restructuring itself.[19] Commissioner McDowell stated “the bottom line is simple: No commissioner should learn of official actions through the trade press. Maybe we could call this our ‘leave no Commissioner behind’ program.[20] He further outlined his ideas for reforming the agency and eliminating unnecessary regulations in a speech at TIA in May 2011[21] and in his July 2011 testimony to the House Commerce Oversight an Investigations Subcommittee.[22]
McDowell recused himself from a vote on an $86 billion merger between AT&T and BellSouth citing his ethics agreement with the Senate Commerce Committee.[23] AT&T then allegedly campaigned against McDowell’s renomination to the Commission in 2009.[24] Endorsed by Senate Republican Leader, Mitch McConnell, AT&T’s efforts to block McDowell’s renomination were unsuccessful, as Commissioner McDowell was reconfirmed June 2009.
Commissioner McDowell traveled to over 20 television markets to raise awareness about the digital television transition and wrote numerous op-eds on the topic. He was especially critical that the Commission lacked a coordinated call center response only one month prior to the original February 17, 2009 cut-off date. In a January 14, 2009 letter to then-Chairman Martin he expressed his concern about the Commission’s lack of readiness, emphasizing that “the Commission must be better organized, more energetic and must coordinate its efforts in a more open and collaborative manner.”[25] The DTV transition deadline was later extended by Congress to June 12, 2006.
Commissioner McDowell is a former FCC lobbyist for telecommunications companies that compete against the Baby Bells. Immediately before his confirmation to the FCC, he was Senior Vice President and Assistant General Counsel of COMPTEL (Competitive Telecommunications Association), an industry trade group of competitive (non-RBOC) telephone companies.
McDowell has twice run for a seat in the Virginia General Assembly and served as a member of several boards and commissions, including the Governor's Advisory Board for a Safe and Drug-Free Virginia.[26]
In 1986 and 1987 he served as chief legislative aide to Virginia Delegate Robert T. Andrews (R-McLean).[27]
Following the 2000 presidential election, he worked on the Florida election recount for the Bush team.[5]
He is the son of the late Hobart K. McDowell, Jr., and the late Martha Louise Shea McDowell. He resides on the farm where he grew up near Vienna, Virginia with his wife, the former Jennifer Griffin, and their three children.[28][29]
|title= specified when using {{Cite web}}". Alumni Profile, The Langley Schoo. http://alumni.langleyschool.org/?page=RobertMcDowell. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
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