Talk:William Kennard

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This reads like an official biography[edit]

I think this article as it is is too one-sided, and expanding the information about his time as chairman into its own section and discussing his policies in more depth would help. Particularly the changes to media ownership rules during his tenure. I wasn't able to find the specific regulations implemented during that time, but here's a paper discussing them.

Some excerpts:

"In August 1999, the Commission further revised its local television ownership rules in order to reflect changes in the media marketplace."23 "It relaxed the television duopoly rule-under which one entity could not own two television stations with Grade B signal contour overlap."24 "As for cross-industry entry barriers, the Commission-through Chairman Kennard in particular-has staked much of its structural regulatory policy on the removal of barriers to entry across traditional 36 industries in light of technological convergence."36

23,24 See Report and Order on Local Broadcast Ownership, 14 F.C.C.R. 12,903, 17 Comm. Reg. (P & F) 1 (1999) 36 Chairman Kennard Calls for Change, But Not Chaos, in Outlining FCC's Pro-consumer [sic], Pro-Competition [sic] Agenda at House Reauthorization Hearing, FCC News Release, 1999 WL 140567 (Mar. 17, 1999); Chairman Kennard Outlines His Vision for the 21st Century and Updates Congress on Recent FCC Accomplishments, FCC News Release, 1999 WL 216052 (April 14, 1999) (announcing release of report entitled "A New Federal Communications Commission for the 21st Century").

Chairman Kennard calls for change...

Maybe something like this:

Work with the FCC[edit]

Before his appointment as FCC Chairman, Kennard served as the FCC's general counsel from 1993 until 1997. He joined the FCC from the law firm of Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson and Hand (now DLA Piper) where he was a partner and member of the firm's board of directors.

Before joining The Carlyle Group, Kennard served as chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission from November 1997 to January 2001. He presided over the agency at an historic time. During his tenure, he shaped policies that created an explosion of new wireless phones, brought the Internet to a majority of American households, and resulted in billions of dollars of investment in new broadband technologies. At the same time, he implemented bold new policies to bridge the digital divide in the United States and around the world.

Kennard is well known for his advocacy for people at risk of being stranded on the wrong side of the digital divide. He implemented the FCC's e-rate program, which brought the Internet to almost every school and library in the United States. Under Kennard's leadership, the FCC dramatically expanded access to communications technologies for people with disabilities. The FCC also adopted policies to increase telephone service to rural areas, especially to Native Americans living on tribal lands. He reached out to create more ownership and employment opportunities for women and minorities.

Kennard currently serves on the boards of directors of AT&T Inc., Ford Motor Company, MetLife Inc., and Duke Energy. He is a co-founder of Astra Capital Management, a private equity firm. Previously, he served on the boards of directors of The New York Times Company, Sprint Nextel Corporation (national US wireless carrier), Handspring, Inc. (manufacturer of the Treo and other wireless devices), eAccess Ltd. (national Japanese wireless carrier), as well as on the boards of several companies owned by The Carlyle Group.

Time as Chairman[edit]

As FCC chairman, Kennard promoted the benefits of technology worldwide. He pioneered an innovative FCC Development Initiative to assist countries in the developing world to participate more fully in the global growth of digital technology. Through this initiative, Kennard signed the first partnership agreements on behalf of the FCC with ten countries on four continents to share U.S. regulatory experience with emerging regulatory authorities.

U.S. News & World Report dubbed Kennard a "consumer champion for the digital age."^{[citation needed]} He has received many honors and awards for his accomplishments, including honorary degrees from Howard University, Gallaudet University and Long Island University and awards from the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, the Easter Seals Foundation, and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.^{[citation needed]}

During Kennard's time as Chairman, the FCC adopted new rules changing the rules of media ownership. The television duopoly rule was changed to allow companies to own two TV stations, provided they did not target the same demographic. Previously, a single company could not own two stations in the same market. ADREY talk 15:08, 23 March 2021 (UTC)[reply]