Dingell Blasts FCC for Failing to Respond to Inquiry

Press Release

Today, Congressman John D. Dingell (D-MI15) sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski rebuking him for failing to provide a substantive response to Dingell's June 17, 2011, inquiry about voluntary incentive auctions of broadcaster spectrum.

In his August 3, 2011, response, Chairman Genachowski failed to respond to Dingell's detailed questions, instead writing that releasing information about the predictive model the Commission has used to predict the outcome of incentive auctions is still "very much a work in progress" and would "potentially damage the Commission's deliberative processes."

"I am deeply disturbed that an agency created by Congress so often and so willfully fails in its duty to respond in a substantive manner to Congressional requests for information," said Dingell. "With respect to voluntary incentive auctions, it is imperative that Members of Congress know what effect they will have on the broadcast industry and their constituents' ability to receive free, over-the-air local programming."

Click on the following links to view copies of Dingell's letter sent on June 17, 2011, Chairman Genachowski's response sent on August 3, 2011, and Dingell's letter sent on August 16, 2011, as well as a zip file of the three letters.

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