WASHINGTON-Saying that WorldCom Inc. is unfit to hold its licenses, the Office of Communications of the United Church of Christ Inc. filed an informal objection to the transfer of WorldCom’s licenses to the debtor-in-possession.
“Companies that manage our nation’s telecommunications and Internet facilities must operate in the public interest, maintaining a corporate character that assures honest and effective stewardship,” said the Rev. Robert Chase.
WorldCom has asked the Federal Communications Commission to transfer its licenses to the DIP organization. DIPs are formed when a company files for bankruptcy reorganization.
Chase said in a press conference Tuesday that the FCC should not transfer the licenses because it is the “same cast of characters” running WorldCom’s DIP who ran the WorldCom that has now admitted to misstating its earnings.
During the press conference, UCC’s outside counsel Gregg Skall, could not immediately name a telecommunications carrier that has lost its licenses for character issues, although there are several examples of broadcast licenses being taken away for such issues.
UCC also called on the FCC to initiate a rulemaking to determine what character qualifications are necessary to hold FCC licenses.
Representatives of WorldCom tried to blunt the impact of the UCC filing by intercepting reporters on their way into the press conference to claim that UCC is in some way associated with its arch enemies-the regional Bell operating companies. Chase denied any association, but did say UCC would welcome funding from any organization with similar beliefs.
UCC is a mainline Protestant denomination with 1.4 million members in more than 6,000 churches.
