Trump’s FCC: Tom Wheeler to be replaced, set-top box reform could be dead

Tom Wheeler’s time as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission is nearing an end now that Republican Donald Trump has won the presidency. You can expect Chairman Wheeler to step down from his chairmanship on or before January 20, when President-elect Trump is inaugurated. It’s customary for the chair to step down when the White House shifts to the opposing party. All five FCC commissioners are appointed by the president and confirmed by the US Senate, with the president’s party having a one-vote majority. (The president usually appoints minority party commissioners based on recommendations made by minority party lawmakers.) President-elect Trump can’t force Chairman Wheeler, a Democrat, to leave the commission entirely before his term expires, but the president can designate a new chairperson. “The president decides who is the chair, so Wheeler will certainly no longer be chair on the first day of the administration,” said Harold Feld, senior VP of advocacy group Public Knowledge.

Chairman Wheeler's FCC passed a number of controversial changes, none bigger than the reclassification of broadband providers as common carriers and imposition of net neutrality rules. If Democrat Hillary Clinton had won the election, Chairman Wheeler would still likely step down sometime in 2017, but he could push through some more rule changes without fearing that they would be quickly undone. With Republicans about to take over, any last-minute votes are in danger of being overturned. Chairman Wheeler’s attempt to save customers money by reforming the cable TV set-top box market may therefore be dead.