FCC Chief Ferris Pushed Boundaries of Telecom Deregulation, With Mixed Results
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Charles D. Ferris was an FCC chairman who helped push telecom deregulation in the late 1970s under President Carter.
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Earlier, as a top Senate aide, Ferris helped craft landmark civil rights legislation in the 1960s.
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At the FCC, Ferris focused on loosening restrictions, allowing more competition in industries like radio, TV, telephone.
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His tenure transformed the FCC's status from a "sluggish agency" to an "innovative" one.
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Critics said some of Ferris's deregulation didn't lead to his hoped-for outcomes, like more public service programming.