What Would Julius Do?

If President-elect Barack Obama officially names his friend and technology adviser Julius Genachowski to be Federal Communications Commission chairman as expected, the cable industry should breathe easier about pricing and packaging of TV channels. But cable wouldn't be free and clear of regulation. The 46-year-old Genachowski comes from the Internet venture-capital world, a market segment whose leaders, such as Google, Yahoo and Microsoft, are deeply suspicious that cable and other broadband access providers want to hog the profits by dictating network access terms. "We would expect Genachowski to pursue the Obama communications agenda (which he helped develop) of promoting greater broadband deployment and access, an open Internet and network neutrality ..." Stifel Nicolaus analysts David Kaut and Rebecca Arbogast said.