New FCC chairman Pai looks to cut regulations

Watchdog: Following the departure of free-wheeling Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler, the FCC’s new leader looks to push a limited-government agenda with more moderation and compromise.

Ajit Pai, a Republican free-market champion, was appointed by President Donald Trump to lead the FCC, which will now lean 3-2 in favor of the GOP. That could mean stark reversals by the commission on recent hot-button topics such as net neutrality and internet provider regulations.

Pai has already shelved Wheeler’s cable TV set-top box plan, which would have allowed manufacturers of third-party devices to access video programming directly from pay-TV providers so they could more easily build TV apps and devices. Wheeler hoped doing so would provide more alternatives to set-top boxes, possibly saving consumers money. Cable companies said they would rather make the apps themselves and provide them to the third-party manufacturers, a plan Pai supported.  MORE