Confirmations for Obama Geek Squad

On Thursday, the Senate confirmed three critical players in President Barack Obama's telecommunications policy team: Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski, FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell and Larry Strickling as assistant secretary of Commerce for communications and information, which is the title for the top executive at Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications & Information Administration. Chairman Genachowski's confirmation means that Acting FCC Chairman Michael Copps will return to being Commissioner Michael Copps. The President must still sign the commissioning papers and the policymakers must be sworn in, but historically that has happened in a matter of days. That means Genachowski could be presiding over his first meeting July 2, the FCC's next public meeting. Strickling is the first official head of NTIA since the fall of 2007, when John Kneuer exited. For most of the intervening time, NTIA was headed by Meredith Attwell Baker in an acting capacity. NTIA is the White House's communications policy advisor. It's current agenda includes coming up with guidelines for dispensing $4.5 billion in broadband stimulus money and administering the DTV-to-analog converter box coupon program.