| Jules Takes the FCC |
| Wednesday, 14 January 2009 00:00 |
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Jules Genakowski decided he didn't mind being a bureaucrat after all, and took the FCC Chairmanship. Jules, a very smart and dedicated guy, has been a high-flier working with Barry Diller since he left the FCC in 1996. That's Jules kissing a baby in the picture at right (?his.) He has very little telecom experience other than a few years doing legal work at the FCC, although his lawyering for USA Networks and Home Shopping Networks provided insight into broadcasting. Matt Lasar at Ars (who's been doing strong work) found an NY Times story that Genakowski had made $2.5M or so in Diller's deal for Vivendi Universal Entertainment. Subsequently a VC, his Rock Creek Ventures backed Truveo and Beliefnet, two very successful startups, which were sold to AOL and Murdoch, respectively. He raised over half a million for the Obama campaign (with whom he used to play basketball,) and personally gave the maximum several times. His beliefs include "that 'green' has evolved from a small movement to a major market force, that many businesses are poised to help address our alternative energy and other sustainability issues, helping us become a global leader in building new industries that meet the growing demand for green and resource-efficient products." The Times added Genachowski has "A reputation for being more of a deal maker and an executive than a pure technology expert."His parents were holocaust survivors.
Cecilia Kang at the Washington Post must be very happy. In December, she stuck her neck out speculating Jules would soon take the post, only to be contradicted by claims a few hours later the decision hadn't been made. His resume is about as impressive as possible for a young lawyer. After Law Review at Harvard, he clerked for the very respected Abner Mikva and then for Supreme Court Justices David Souter and William Brennan. Besides baby-kissing, his political background includes work on the Iran-Contra affair and for U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer. His wife, Rachel Goslins, is an intellectual property lawyer as well as a former actress turned producer. Her 2008 documentary 'Bama Girl "follows a young black woman's quest to become Homecoming Queen at the University of Alabama, one of the great Deep South institutions. She is running against not only 15 other co-eds, but a strictly segregated Greek system, internal black politics, and, most ominously, a secret all-white group called 'The Machine' that has been controlling campus politics at the University for most of the past century. This is a film about the light and the dark sides of tradition -- and an unexpected microcosm of electoral politics that provides some fascinating insights into the national election process." Available from Amazon.
Back in November, I wrote "The Stars of the ninet One of his (highly lucrative) employment contracts is at http://contracts.onecle.com/interactive/genachowski.emp.2000.08.09.shtml He emphasized that Net neutrality and Internet transparency share the same theme: it is “the principle of openness that you see throughout this plan, both with respect to the Internet and also the commitment to openness in the government.”
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Friends thought he might turn down the post as too boring, but as I reported November 12th "He presumably could have the FCC chair or any job he wanted, including a proposed new post of U.S. Chief Technology Office,... I asked one of the best informed insiders how they'll make the decision, and he replied 'It's up to Julius.'"
ies return" with Jules at the top.