How ’bout the attendees at President Clinton’s White House Corporate Citizenship Conference last Thursday here: Robert Allen, chairman of AT&T Corp.; Charles Lee, chairman of GTE Corp.; Richard Notebaert, chairman of Ameritech Corp.; Bert Roberts, chairman of MCI Communications Corp., Bernard Schwartz, chairman of Loral Corp.; Ivan Seidenberg, chairman of Nynex Corp.; and Gary Tooker, vice chairman of Motorola Inc. Enough said.
What is worth crowing about is the establishment of a Ron Brown Corporate Citizenship Award.
…*So with Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kan.) breaking ties with Congress to do battle with President Clinton and the retirements of Sen. Nancy Kassebaum (R-Kan.) and of Rep. Jan Meyers (R-Kan.) at the end of this year, outgoing FCC Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Deputy Chief Ralph Haller-last week’s recipient of the Eugene C. Bowler Award and a native Kansan himself-has at least three job prospects when he leaves the agency June 10 after 25 years on the job.
President Clinton was possibly going to make an appearance at the Bowler Award’s dinner Wednesday night, but had to cancel to the chagrin of the Personal Communications Industry Association.
On a serious note, radio talk show host Don Imus (don’t mention the name to Bill or Hillary) is being floated comically as a potential Dole running mate.
… Trent Lott (R-Miss.) is the odds-on favorite to take over the Senate leadership post. Word is that’s good news for the broadcasters, particularly at a time when there is increasing support to auction their spectrum.
… Now that a deal’s been cut to give Billy Tauzin (R-La.) chairmanship of the House telecommunications subcommittee and Mike Oxley (R-Ohio) the gavel of a newly created finance subcommittee, if the GOP retains control of the House this November, the question is whether there’ll be a finance panel. Either way, Oxley was shortchanged.
… Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and other House members last week urged President Clinton not to go forward with his “Clipper Chip” escrow encryption policy proposal and to relax export controls on non-key escrow encryption programs and products.
… James Coltharp, chief economist of the FCC Wireless Telecom Bureau since September 1995, has joined Commissioner James Quello to advise on cable TV and mass media issues primarily and to a lesser degree wireless and common carrier issues.
… Last week’s scheduled mark-up of the House digital copyright bill was postponed.
