This feature story on Kevin Martin is probably the most challenging FCC-related writing project I've ever taken on.

Interview: laying it on the line with FCC chair Kevin Martin

By Matthew Lasar | Published: October 06, 2008 - 11:30PM CT

Anti-consumer?

What a difference nine months makes. In December of 2007, activists reviled Federal Communications Commission Chair Kevin Martin as the ruthless champion of big media, thanks to his efforts to relax the agency's restriction on newspaper/TV station cross-ownership. They all but booed Martin off the stage at a November Commission hearing about the proposal held in Seattle, Washington.

But an hour after Martin explained on Friday, August 1, why the FCC will enforce its net neutrality policies against Comcast for P2P blocking, Free Press, Public Knowledge, and Vuze held a telephone press conference on the decision. The subject inevitably moved to the FCC's Chair.

"What do you think that Kevin Martin's motives were in making this call?" one reporter asked. "Because as most of you know, he has not exactly portrayed himself as a friend of the consumer. His decisions have generally been pro-business. What made him make this switch?"

Gigi Sohn, of Public Knowledge, quickly responded to the query. "I think it's a little unfair to characterize Kevin Martin as being anti-consumer in all but this decision," she said, a little impatience in her voice. "I can name several other decisions coming out of his FCC that I would consider to be pro-consumer, including the denial of some of the big forbearance petitions by some of the telephone companies. So I think it's unfair to pigeonhole him in that way."

One wonders how history will remember Kevin Martin, head of the Commission from 2005 through 2008, and perhaps not much longer.

Read the rest here.

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