Hollywood gains ally with Waxman

The House Commerce Committee oversees the Federal Communications Commission and also handles telecom policy at large. While newly-elected Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) has not been active on these issues in his previous job -- chairing the House Committee on Government Reform -- he is known to be tight with Rep Howard Berman (D-CA), another showbiz ally, particularly on intellectual property issues. Rep Berman will remain a senior member of the influential House Judiciary Committee, which oversees copyright issues. Judiciary Chairman John Conyers Jr. (D-MI) is also a strong advocate for IP rights and protection. Chairman Waxman is also close with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, another Californian viewed favorably by Hollywood. Waxman's relations with broadcast news orgs, in particular NBC News, were strained in early 2001 when he held hearings on the premature calling of the 2000 election. The congressman tried repeatedly -- and ultimately unsuccessfully -- to get NBC to hand over a videotape allegedly of then-head of GE Jack Welch pressing the news staff to declare George W. Bush the winner. One longtime broadcast lobbyist predicts when media issues are before the Commerce Committee, Chairman Waxman "will probably defer" to Rep. Ed Markey (D-A), who chairs the subcommittee on Telecom and the Internet.